A cargo plane, believed to belong to the Sudanese army, crashed early Monday in the Malha area of North Darfur state, resulting in the deaths of its five-member crew—three Sudanese and two Russian nationals. The cause of the crash remains unclear, with conflicting reports suggesting either technical failure or enemy fire.
Military sources indicated that the Russian-made Ilyushin cargo plane was on a mission delivering military equipment and medicine to the army’s headquarters in El Fasher. The crash occurred on its return trip. While the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) claimed responsibility, stating they shot down the aircraft, other reports suggest the possibility of a technical malfunction.
The RSF released video footage showing the wreckage of the plane and the passports of the Russian crew members. A statement from the RSF spokesman alleged that their forces had downed a “foreign warplane” aiding the Sudanese army and “remnants of the terrorist Islamic Movement.” They also accused the aircraft of conducting bombing raids in the region.
Meanwhile, the Russian embassy in Sudan stated that it is investigating reports of the crash and is in communication with Sudanese authorities to verify the involvement of Russian crew members.
RSF commander Ali Rizqallah, also known as “Al-Savana,” claimed in a video that their forces shot down an Egyptian plane bombing civilians in Darfur, adding further accusations of foreign involvement in the Sudanese conflict. RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo has previously accused Egypt of supporting the Sudanese army with warplanes.
The RSF also claimed to have retrieved the plane’s black box and seized documents related to the mission. Malha, where the crash occurred, is located approximately 210 kilometers north of El Fasher.