An-26 probably shot down by missile from Russian territory - Ukrainian defense minister

17:32, 14.07.2014 1 min read

The crew members of the An-26 military transport plane that was shot down on Monday in Luhansk region have made contact with the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Defense Minister Valeriy Heletei has said in a report to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

"The defense minister of Ukraine has reported to the president that the crew of the An-26, which was on a mission as part of the active phase of the anti-terrorist operation (ATO), and which was shot down, got in contact with the General Staff," the press service of the head of state reported on Monday.

He also said that given the fact that the plane was flying at an altitude of 6.5 kilometers, it couldn't have been reached from a man-portable air defense system, which means that "the plane was struck by another, more powerful missile that was probably launched from Russian territory."