Footage shared on social media shows the moment of the accident involving the Russian military transport aircraft An-22 Antey, which occurred on December 9 in the Furmanovsky district, near the Uvodsky reservoir.
The video of the incident was shared by a columnist from the Supernova+ channel and quickly spread across digital platforms.
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In the footage, the aircraft can be seen losing altitude abruptly before collapsing while still in flight, breaking apart in mid-air. The accident became public on December 9. Seven crew members were on board, all of whom were killed in the crash.
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According to the information released, the aircraft was conducting a scheduled flight after undergoing repairs and routine maintenance. Aircraft of this type were based at the Ivanovo-Severny military airfield. Sources from the Russian newspaper Kommersant, linked to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, stated that the An-22 involved in the accident had been in service for more than 50 years and was reportedly the last example of this model still in active service in the country.
The An-22 Antey
The An-22 Antey is a Soviet military transport aircraft developed in Kyiv in the 1960s. Its first flight took place on February 27, 1965, with serial production beginning in 1966 and entry into service from 1969. At the time, it became the largest turboprop aircraft in the world. The aircraft has a payload capacity of up to 80 tonnes and a maximum takeoff weight of around 250 tonnes. It is powered by four NK-12MA turboprop engines, each producing approximately 15,000 horsepower.
Considered a milestone in military aviation, the An-22 was a pioneer in the super-heavy transport aircraft class and paved the way for even larger projects such as the An-124 Ruslan and the An-225 Mriya.
Source and images: Militarnyi | Telegram: @supernova_plus. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
