A Russian military Antonov An-22 Cock heavy transport plane crashed today in the Ivanovo region, about 125 miles northeast of Moscow, killing the entire crew. The incident is particularly notable as the Soviet-era plane was widely reported to have been retired some 18 months ago. It’s unclear why the aircraft was still flying, but it raises some questions about the overall health of the Russian Aerospace Forces’ transport arm.
According to Russia’s Investigative Committee, the country’s main federal investigative authority, the turboprop cargo plane went down near the village of Ivankovo. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the An-22 break up in the air, with parts of the fuselage falling into a reservoir near the village. A video posted on social media shows a rescue team removing fragments of the aircraft from the Uvodskoye reservoir.
A screenshot from a video posted on Supernova+ channel on Telegram supposedly shows a rescue team removing fragments of An-22 from the Uvodskoye reservoir. t.me/supernova_plus
So far, Russia’s Investigative Committee has not revealed how many people were on board, although it is state-run Tasse The news agency puts the number at seven, and unconfirmed reports on social media provide names for each.
Russian state media quoted the Russian Defense Ministry as saying the An-22 was undergoing a test flight “following repairs” when it crashed, suggesting it was being returned to service.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has confirmed that search teams have been deployed to the crash site and an investigation into the crash has been opened.
The approximate location of the crash near the village of Ivankovo in the Ivanovo region, about 125 miles northeast of Moscow. Google Earth
Citing anonymous sources, the Kommersant the business newspaper reported that the accident was likely caused by a technical fault.
In August last year, there were unconfirmed reports that Russia had permanently ceased operations of its An-22 fleet. At this time, it was suggested that the last example, registration number RF-09309, built in 1974, was transported from its home base Migalovo in the Tver region of western Russia to Yekaterinburg in the Ural Federal District on 16 August 2024. It was expected to be on permanent display at the military museum in Verkhmanyaya. However, no An-22s are visible in recent satellite images of the collection, suggesting that these plans may have changed.
Potentially, RF-09309 is the same aircraft that crashed today, or it could have been one of four other An-22s still active with the 196th Military Transport Aviation Regiment of the Russian Aerospace Forces as of June 2024.
At the time, General Vladimir Venediktov, commander of the Military Transport Aviation, told the Russian state publication. All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company broadcaster that the An-22 was headed for retirement before the end of that year.
That the An-22 has survived this long, let alone that an example is still flying today, is somewhat remarkable.
As you can read in detail here, the An-22 was designed and built by the Antonov company based in Kiev, in what was then the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. The prototype flew on February 27, 1965, at which time it was the heaviest airplane in the world.
Shared with the Tupolev Tu-95 Bear bomber, the An-22 was powered by four huge Kuznetsov NK-12MA turboprops, each rated at over 14,805 horsepower and driving eight-bladed counter-rotating propellers over 20 feet in diameter.
The engine gave the An-22 a distinctive mechanical roar, as seen in the video below.
A total of 68 An-22s were completed, including two prototypes, between 1966 and 1976.
Entry into service with the Soviet Army took place in January 1969, and the aircraft was particularly appreciated for its ability to accommodate large loads.
Up to 132,000 pounds of cargo can be carried. Alternatively, the An-22 shed had room for 151 paratroopers or 292 standard troops, carried on two decks. However, the main hold was not pressurized, except for a forward cabin with seating for 29 people.
Cargo items included complete missile systems as well as large and heavy military vehicles via the large rear loading ramp. The aircraft could also operate from austere airfields if required.
In the early 2000s, it already seemed that the An-22’s career was almost over, with only nine airworthy examples at Migalovo. It was now outnumbered by the much more capable jet-powered An-124 Condor, which had entered service in the 1980s as the world’s heaviest production transport aircraft, capable of carrying a normal load of 300,000 pounds.
A Russian An-124 flies over the Kremlin in Moscow on May 5, 2015, during a rehearsal of the Victory Day parade. Photo by VASILY MAXIMOV / AFP VASILY MAXIMOV
However, the Russian military chose to keep the An-22, even in limited numbers, as it was cheaper to operate than the An-124 but had much more power than the Ilyushin Il-76 Candid.
Plans to upgrade the surviving An-22s failed, however, and the active fleet of the Russian Aerospace Forces dropped to five.
A sixth was still operated by the Antonov Design Bureau in Kiev until it was apparently damaged beyond repair during combat at Hostomel Airport at the start of the full-scale Russian invasion.
The fact that at least one An-22 was apparently set to return to active service with the Russian Aerospace Forces seems to paint a bleak picture of its airlift arm.
Although still operating a significant number of Il-76s, in terms of heavy transports, Russia has not been able to resume production of the An-124. The main problem was the lack of suitable engines – the original D-18T turbofan is produced by Motor Sich at its factory in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. Meanwhile, Motor Sich is also the only company capable of overhauling these engines, reducing the availability of the Russian An-124 fleet. This factor may have also determined the planned return of the An-22 to service.
An An-22 at the airport of the Black Sea resort of Adler outside Sochi in southern Russia. SERGEI POLUNIN/AFP via Getty Images SERGEI POLUNIN
Also, plans to develop an all-Russian successor to the Ukrainian-designed An-124 have so far not materialized.
In general, Russia’s fleet of transport aircraft is aging rapidly, and this may have contributed to other recent accidents.
In July this year, a civilian-operated Antonov An-24 Coke regional turboprop plane crashed near Tynda in the Amur region of eastern Russia. All 42 passengers and six crew on board died. The long-obsolete aircraft had been manufactured in 1976.
In the same month, two people were killed after an An-2 Colt utility transport crashed in the Krasnodar region of southern Russia. The An-2 was first flown in 1947, and the Soviet Union and Russia have collectively failed to develop a suitable successor for a type that remains in widespread use.
There have been other losses of Russian transport aircraft that may or may not be related to the conflict in Ukraine, as well as precise attacks on these aircraft by long-range Ukrainian drone strikes.
At the same time, the fleet in general is likely to suffer from the effects of the sanctions, especially when it comes to training levels.
As the war in Ukraine continues, the Russian military’s demand for heavy airlift will continue. Whatever the reason for today’s crash, it’s a blow to the Russian Aerospace Forces. Apart from the slim possibility of a contractor trying to acquire the remaining aircraft to exploit its unique capabilities, it seems highly unlikely that the An-22 will find a way back into regular service after this latest incident.
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com