Russian plane crash kills 39

A RUSSIAN military plane crashed as it came in to land at an air base in Syria, killing all 39 people onboard, Russia’s defence ministry has said.

The Russian military said the An-26 cargo plane, with 33 passengers and six crew members aboard, crashed 490metres from the runway yesterday. The military blamed a technical error for the crash.

Russia, a key ally of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, leases the Hemeimeem military base in Syria, near the Mediterranean coast.