Local reports indicate the crash of an IL-76 transport aircraft in Mali’s Gao region, may have possible ties to the Russian Wagner Group.
The Ilyushin Il-76, introduced in 1967 by the Soviet Union’s Ilyushin Design Bureau, is a versatile four-engine turbofan aircraft initially created as a successor to the Antonov An-12 in the realm of commercial freight transport. Its primary purpose was to transport heavy equipment to geographically remote and underserved locations.
The reasons behind the crash remain undisclosed at this time.
