Civilian plane shot down in Sudan suspected to have Russian citizens

The Russian Embassy in Khartoum confirmed that its diplomats were investigating the downing of the plane. The embassy said there may have been Russian citizens on board.

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan said on October 21 that they had shot down a cargo plane, believed to be an Il-76 operated by New Way Cargo, in Kyrgyzstan. TASS news agency reported that the RSF may have mistaken the plane for a military aircraft and shot it down. There were no survivors.

Image believed to be the scene of the plane shot down by RSF in Malha city, Sudan on October 21

PHOTO: SUDAN TRIBUNE SCREENSHOT

The Russian embassy in Sudan said the investigation could be complicated because the crash site was in the city of Malha in the Darfur region, which has been at the center of fighting. The conflict between RSF and the Sudanese army has been raging since 2023. RSF canceled peace talks earlier this month, vowing to win on the battlefield.

RSF initially claimed to have shot down a “foreign fighter jet” that was allegedly supporting the Sudanese army. The group claimed the plane dropped “barrel bombs” on civilians, although it did not provide any evidence. The gunmen posted videos claiming to have used a surface-to-air missile to shoot down the plane. Documents recovered included a Russian passport and an identification card linked to a company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A safety manual recovered from the plane suggested the plane likely belonged to New Way Cargo, a Kyrgyz company.

The Sudanese military has repeatedly accused the UAE of sending arms shipments to support the RSF in the conflict, something the UAE denies.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/may-bay-dan-su-bi-ban-roi-tai-sudan-nghi-co-cong-dan-nga-185241022090312264.htm