2024 Darfur Ilyushin Il-76 shootdown
| Company type | Airline |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cargo airline |
| Headquarters | Kyrgyzstan |
| Products | Cargo air transport services |
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Template:Infobox aircraft occurrence
Template:Campaignbox Sudanese civil war (2023–present)
On 21 October 2024, a cargo plane of the Ilyushin Il-76 model was downed over the western Sudanese region of Darfur by forces of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) amid the ongoing Sudanese civil conflict. All five crew members on board lost their lives. The aircraft, operated by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), was en route to deliver medical supplies and equipment to the SAF-controlled city of Al-Fashir.
The aircraft in question was an Ilyushin Il-76 previously registered as EX-76011 with serial number 0013428831 and operated by New Way Cargo Airlines based in Kyrgyzstan. It was transferred to Sudan on 12 January 2024 and subsequently re-registered as ST-JAN. Initial confusion regarding its registration arose due to a safety card marked EX-76011 found among the wreckage. Since December 2023, the plane had been operating out of Port Sudan. Although it had formerly provided supplies to the RSF, at the time it was supporting SAF operations.
Political context
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A civil war erupted in Sudan on 15 April 2023 between the regular military, known as the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and the paramilitary faction called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). At the time of this event, RSF held dominance over large portions of Darfur and Gezira State, as well as segments of central Sudan and areas adjacent to the border with Libya.
Aircraft and crew
The aircraft involved was an Ilyushin Il-76, bearing the registration ST-JAN and serial number 0013428831. Built in 1981, it had previously been operated by New Way Cargo Airlines. Onboard were five crew members, comprising two Russians and three Sudanese nationals. According to RT, the pilot was identified as Anton Selivanets. Documents recovered at the crash location included those belonging to Viktor Granov, a Russian aviator who owned Aircargo Services International and Grand Propeller airlines. Although identification linked to Manas International Airport in Kyrgyzstan was discovered at the site, there is no indication that any airport personnel were among the passengers or crew. A representative from New Way Cargo, headquartered in Kyrgyzstan, confirmed that the aircraft’s lease had concluded at the end of 2023.
The plane was re-registered in Sudan under the code ST-JAN in January 2024. Flight records indicate that since December 2023, it had regularly operated flights to Port Sudan.
Incident
Reports indicate that the aircraft was struck by missiles launched by the RSF while flying over Darfur. Footage of the event displays the plane engulfed in flames as it descends rapidly before crashing. The RSF asserted they had recovered the aircraft’s black boxes along with certain documents onboard. Among items found at the crash scene were a safety information leaflet and a Russian passport. It is believed RSF forces in Darfur may not have been aware of civilian flights traversing the area at that time; their expectation was for potential strikes from the Sudanese Air Force.
Aftermath
At the outset, RSF Commander Ali Rizqallah asserted that they had successfully downed an Antonov aircraft belonging to the Egyptian Air Force, which was allegedly transporting arms or conducting bombings in Darfur.
A Reuters inquiry revealed that flight tracking data indicated the cargo plane previously supplied the RSF but had recently shifted its operations to support the SAF. The RSF released footage depicting their forces alongside the smoldering remains of the aircraft in Al Malha, located north of Al Fashir. Additionally, images circulated by the RSF displayed identification documents belonging to two Russians purportedly on board, as well as three members of the Sudanese Armed Forces. Reuters’ examination of these documents suggested that one Russian crew member had prior involvement in arms trafficking. The Russian embassy in Sudan confirmed it was conducting an investigation into the matter.
Among the documents shared online post-crash was a safety manual featuring the registration number EX-76011. This identifier corresponds to an IL-76 aircraft once operated by New Way Cargo, a Kyrgyzstan-based airline reportedly supplying the RSF via Chad with backing from the United Arab Emirates, according to the Sudan Conflict Observatory. The UAE has denied allegations of supporting the RSF. Kyrgyzstan’s civil aviation authority confirmed that this aircraft was deregistered and transferred to Sudan on 12 January 2024.
Analysis by Reuters of flight tracking information and satellite images demonstrates that EX-76011 operated routes toward Chad until November 2023. However, data from December 2023 shows that the plane flew to Port Sudan, where the Sudanese Armed Forces are headquartered, implying that at the time it was delivering supplies to the SAF when it was shot down.
See also
- 2007 Mogadishu TransAVIAexport Airlines Il-76 crash – Another commercial cargo Il-76 shot down amid conflict in Africa.
- 2020 African Express Airways Brasilia crash – Another incident involving a cargo plane being shot down.
- List of airliner shootdown incidents
References
External links
Template:Aviation accidents and incidents in 2024 Template:Aviation accidents and incidents in Sudan Template:Sudanese civil war (2023–present)