Russia’s embassy in Sudan is investigating reports that a cargo plane with a Russian crew was shot down in Darfur, a major battleground in Sudan’s civil war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The plane, a Russian-made Ilyushin Il-76, was reportedly delivering equipment and medicine to el-Fasher, a city under army control, according to Sudanese military sources.
On Monday, the RSF claimed responsibility for downing a Russian-made aircraft operated by the Egyptian military, accusing it of bombing civilians.
However, the plane was initially identified as an Antonov. Egypt denies any involvement in providing military support to Sudan’s army throughout the 18-month conflict.
The conflict between Sudan’s army and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023, has created one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, according to the UN. U.S. special envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello, estimated in May that the war had claimed as many as 150,000 lives. The UN also estimates that more than 10 million people—around one-fifth of the population—have been displaced.
Details surrounding the crash remain unclear.
The Russian embassy in Khartoum confirmed it is working with Sudan’s military-led government to gather more information about the incident and those aboard the plane.
According to reports from the Sudan Tribune, all five crew members—three Sudanese and two Russians—died in the crash. Military sources claim the plane went down in the Malha area near the Chad border while en route to el-Fasher, though this has not been independently confirmed.
El-Fasher is the last major city in Darfur still held by the army and has been under RSF attack since April.
The RSF claims to have retrieved the plane’s black box, as well as documents related to the mission.
Footage from the crash site shows RSF soldiers with identification documents believed to be from the wreckage.
BBC Verify reviewed some of these documents, which included a Russian passport, a job ID from Kyrgyzstan’s Manas airport, and two South African driver’s licenses, all linked to a single individual.
Preliminary research suggests the individual might have been a Russian military academy graduate and a resident of South Africa. Other footage showed a 50-rouble Russian banknote, but it is unclear whether it was filmed at the crash site.
Conflicting reports have emerged about the cause of the crash.
While both the army and RSF claim it was shot down, other sources point to a possible technical fault.
Additionally, circulating documents suggest the plane may have been linked to an airline previously associated with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), though the UAE denies allegations of arming the RSF. The UN, however, has stated there is credible evidence of such support.
Efforts to negotiate a ceasefire between the army and RSF have stalled, with fighting intensifying in Khartoum, which is largely under RSF control.
The military has escalated airstrikes on the city, particularly in the center and southern areas. In Wad Madani, an RSF-controlled city south of Khartoum, local activists report over 50 deaths from multiple attacks since Sunday.
The city’s resistance committee, which coordinates local aid efforts, claims that more than 30 people were killed in a military airstrike on a mosque following evening prayers, accusing the army of using barrel bombs, a weapon prohibited in civilian areas by international law.
Many victims’ bodies remain unidentifiable due to the severity of the attacks.
These assaults follow the defection of the RSF’s top commander in Gezira state to the army.
(BBC)
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