In a shocking incident, a colossal Russian military aircraft was engulfed in flames during take-off from a secluded airbase, carrying an undisclosed military cargo.
The 164-foot Il-76 plane was on the runway when one of its engines burst into flames, as per various reports.
The aircraft veered off the runway as the fire rapidly spread, with dramatic footage from the scene displaying the 72-tonne jet completely enveloped in flames. Reports suggest that the crew and any passengers managed to evacuate before the fire fully consumed the massive military transporter.
It is speculated that there were eight individuals on board, transporting an unspecified military cargo. Video footage depicted the burning Russian defence ministry aircraft at the Ayni airbase near the capital city, Dushanbe, in the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan, also known as the Gissar airbase.
The registration number of the plane was initially withheld, as per reports from the Telegram channel. However, it is believed that the destroyed aircraft is RF-86900, previously used to support Putin's war efforts via Belarus.
The details of the cargo have not been disclosed due to 'wartime political reasons,' according to a source. The source also suggested that the plane might have belonged to Vladimir Putin's elite Pskov airborne troops, who are reported to have lost five Il-76s in strikes by Ukraine. "If it's the Pskov regiment, then it's a real disaster - we have lost five already," the source stated.
This incident marks the second Il-76 to explode on the runway within the past month. In September, another Russian-made plane was filmed veering off a runway in Africa and exploding into a fireball, amid suspicions that the jet was associated with the Wagner army.
The transporter burst into flames in Mali, where Wagner's troops are stationed, just weeks after the private mercenary group's leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was killed in an exploding business jet near Moscow.
The Ilyushin was filmed landing in Gao, but it failed to stop and quickly turned into a raging inferno. Reports suggest that the Russian pilot of the plane died in the incident. Footage shows the distressed aircraft ablaze, with large black plumes of smoke billowing into the sky.
Some reports have linked the flight to the controversial Wagner mercenary army operating in Mali. While this has been denied, the possibility that the paramilitary group was associated with the plane has not been ruled out.
The footage seemingly refutes reports that the aircraft was shot down by a man-portable air defence system. It is understood that the plane landed too far down the 2,500-metre runway, failed to brake within 500 metres, overshot the runway, and exploded into a massive inferno.
Sources close to Wagner have denied any connection between the Russian mercenary group and the flight, despite its forces being active in the African country. However, they did not dismiss the possibility that Wagner was linked to the plane.
The aircraft was used by the Malian military, according to the Grey Zone Telegram channel, which is close to Wagner. "This plane, or rather the flight, did not transport any personnel of the Wagner Group," the channel stated. It further clarified, "There were no fighters or pilots of the Wagner Group on board."
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