The cargo plane was reportedly staffed by an all-Russian crew, all of whom are believed to have died at the scene after the aircraft exploded in a fireball in North Darfur
Russian Il-76T cargo plane shot down over Sudan
Horror video has captured the dramatic moment a Russian cargo plane reportedly downed by friendly fire crashed and released a massive fireball into the sky.
The Il-76T aircraft was hit by a guided missile in Sudan fired by the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to reports, causing the Russian-made Ilyushin to hit the ground and explode in a giant fireball in North Darfur. Footage showed the aircraft’s burning fuselage on the ground.
The plane is believed to have been staffed by an all-Russian crew, all of whom died in the explosion, with documents belonging to two members found at the crash site. The RSF reportedly fired at the aircraft after mistaking it for an Egyptian-linked Antonov plane used to drop bombs – but in reality, the II-76T had been previously used to supply its forces.
The Russian-made cargo plane had been used previously to supply the group at the behest of UAE authorities while it fights the Sudanese army. During the dommed flight, the plane was carrying engineering aid from the UAE to the Republic of Chad linked to an aircraft that required repairs.
Reports said the aircraft had been shot down by “mistake”. Russian aviation channel Aviatorshchina on Telegram said: “The transport plane was mistakenly shot down early this morning by the Rapid Reaction Force, RSF. According to one of the commanders of the force, Ali Rizkallah, his subordinates used guided missiles to shoot down an ‘Egyptian Antonov’, which was allegedly used by the Egyptian military as a bomber.
“However, a little later they realised that they had shot down an Il-76, which was delivering aid from the UAE to Amjaras [in Chad], by ‘friendly fire’.” Il-76T cargo planes typically carry a crew of five, with documents found at the scene identifying two Russian aircraft engineers – Viktor Granov and Anton Selivanets – who were on board at the time.
The Russian embassy in Sudan said it was in contact with local authorities and was investigating the circumstances of the incident. Reports said the Il-76T was chartered by the UAE and based in Kyrgyzstan. The RSF has been at war with the Sudanese army since April 2023.
The paramilitary force initially claimed in a statement it shot down a “foreign warplane” that had been aiding the Sudanese military. It said that all “foreign mercenaries aboard the aircraft were eliminated in the operation”. Identity documents shown included a Russian passport and an ID that linked back to a UAE-based company.
