Two Russian planes crash in huge £33m blow for Putin with one 'slamming into cliff’

Two Russian planes have crashed with one ‘slamming into a cliff’ causing Putin to suffer a £33 million blow.

Russia lost 29 military personnel in a mystery An-26 military transport plane crash over rugged terrain in occupied Crimea.

A second Putin warplane – a £30 million Su-34 fighter-bomber – was lost in a separate incident reportedly as it engaged Ukrainian drones.

A total of 23 fighters and six crew were killed in the £3 million An-26 crash after the ageing plane lost contact over the Crimean peninsula.

Rescuers reached the crash site and said there were “no signs of a destructive impact on board”.

The plane crashed into a cliff or hit rocks, according to reports.

The Russian authorities did not initially reveal the type of military personnel on board the stricken aircraft.

They pointed to a likely “technical malfunction”, while Ukrainian sources claimed it could have been a “friendly fire” downing.

“The search and rescue group found the crash site of the An-26 aircraft. According to a report from the scene, six crew members and 23 passengers on board were killed,” said a defence ministry statement.

Unofficial reports indicated the crash site was in Belbek Valley – close to a key military airport near Sevastopol.

The Belbek airport is frequently targeted by the Ukrainian armed forces.

The An-26 has been in service since the 1960s.

Military sources said the Su-34 crashed with the pilot killed, and no immediate clarity on the fate of the navigator.

The location of the crash was not given.

Russia has lost hundreds of military aircraft – planes and helicopters – during the four-year war with Ukraine.