Il-76 Cargo Plane, with Russian Crew, Shot Down in Sudan's North Darfur

A cargo plane Il-76, that reportedly included Russian crew members, was shot down over the North Darfur province in Sudan, where clashes between government forces and the paramilitary group "Rapid Support Forces" (RSF) are ongoing, the Russian embassy in Sudan reported on the evening of Monday, Oct. 21.

“The embassy is in contact with Sudanese authorities and is taking all necessary measures to clarify the circumstances of this incident. The situation is complicated by the fact that the crash site is located in the conflict-ridden Darfur region,” the statement said.

According to Aviation Safety Network, the crashed plane was an Il-76TD with the registration number EX-76011, operated by New Way Cargo. There was some confusion over the identity of the aircraft’s operator as two air cargo companies with similar names exist: one registered in the UAE and another in Kyrgyzstan. Similarly, the route being flown by the aircraft differs among media sources.

Some reports say the aircraft originated from Ras Al Khaimah International Airport in the UAE and others contend it was flying from Manas Airport in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. In both cases the destination was believed to be Aéroport International Maréchal Idriss Deby in Amjarass, a city in Chad which borders Sudan.

Sudan War Monitor, a platform specializing in coverage of the Sudanese conflict, reported that the plane was likely carrying supplies for the RSF and was mistakenly shot down by RSF fighters themselves, having mistaken it for a government Antonov aircraft. The incident occurred at around 4:00 a.m. local time.

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According to Russian Telegram channels Shot and Mash, two Russians were on board the plane — Viktor Granov and Anton Selivants. Granov was identified as the chief engineer for Airline Transport Incorporation FZC, which is registered in the UAE with links to Kyrgyzstan. Mash reported that there may have been others on board with them – the Il-76 normally has a crew of five. The passport for Selivants, an aviation engineer from Bashkortostan, was found at the crash site.

There has been no information confirming if there were survivors of the crash but, judging from the images on the internet, it seems unlikely.

Russia has an ambivalent relationship with Sudan. The Kremlin having previously backed the RSF has been working to improve its relationship with the government and specifically the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), while meanwhile the Wagner mercenary group unofficially continues to supply and support the RSF.

Kyiv Post reached out to its sources in Ukrainian intelligence for any information about Ukraine's possible involvement in the incident, but no response was received at the time of publication.

In April 2023, fighting broke out in Sudan between the regular army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who is de facto the country's president, and the RSF, commanded by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.

Russia, along with the Wagner Group, was directly involved in the coup in Sudan in 2019, supporting Hemedti and his fighters in the conflict and supplying weapons. Wagner also delivered surface-to-air missiles to the RSF (RSF).

A senior Sudanese source told CNN in 2023 that about 90 percent of RSF weapons came from Wagner. That supply channel is still open despite the deaths of Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and his deputy Dmitry Utkin in a plane crash in Russia, the source said.

In May 2023 HUR Chief Kyrylo Budanov vowed to “destroy Russian war criminals anywhere in the world, wherever they are.”

Last November, it got an exclusive video allegedly showing Ukrainian special forces performing “cleaning up” operations of Wagner fighters in Sudan.

In January, Kyiv Post published an exclusive video allegedly showing Ukrainian drones destroying “Russian mercenaries” and their “local terrorist partners” in Sudan.

In February, Kyiv Post acquired exclusive footage allegedly showing Ukrainian special forces interrogating captured Wagner Group mercenaries in the Republic of Sudan. In the video, the prisoners confess that their mission was to get to Sudan and overthrow the government.