This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
The death of Anton Selivanets, a Russian aircraft engineer, has been confirmed following the downing of a cargo plane in war-torn Sudan.
Selivanets was on board the Il-76 transport plane, which was shot down by participants in the civil conflict, his family confirmed on October 22.
The cargo plane owned by a Kyrgyzstan-registered company, New Way Cargo Airlines, was shot down in Sudan a day earlier.
Bishkek’s Manas Airport stated on October 22 that the aircraft, tail number EX 76 011, had been sold to the airline earlier in 2024.
Kyrgyzstan’s Civil Aviation Agency stated that the plane had been removed from the registry of Kyrgyzstan on January 12 of this year and registered in Sudan.
Russian media reports indicate that the plane was downed in the west of Sudan, where conflict between government forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has escalated.
Selivanets’ family confirmed that he had sent a video from the plane before the crash.
The RSF militia claimed responsibility for shooting down the aircraft, although the exact circumstances remain unclear.
Another Russian, Viktor Granov, is believed to have been on board. His documents were found at the crash site. According to the discovered ID card, Granov was the chief engineer of the United Arab Emirates-registered Airline Transport Incorporation FZC.
Manas Airport confirmed on October 22 that Granov worked for Airline Transport Incorporation FZC, stressing that the man was not the airport’s employee.
Mash Telegram channel claims that the Russians were flying to Sudan from the United Arab Emirates to repair the plane.
Numerous sources indicate that the RSF group is supported by the United Arab Emirates, which the kingdom denies.
Sudan has been gripped by a civil war for more than a year, displacing millions of people and causing widespread hunger.
The conflict’s chaos complicates efforts to verify the number of casualties or the flight’s purpose, though reports suggest the plane may have been carrying cargo for the very militia that shot it down.
