MOSCOW, March 12. /TASS/. The governor of the Tver Region, Igor Rudenya, has expressed condolences to the families and friends of the military pilots who died in the crash of an Ilyushin-76 transport plane in the Ivanovo Region.

"The tragedy claimed the lives of the crew of Tver military pilots, true professionals who heroically struggled to save the airplane and passengers and prevented the aircraft from falling on residential buildings and killing civilians on the ground. This tragedy has echoed with pain in the hearts of the residents of the entire Tver Region. I am asking you to convey condolences to the comrades of the victims and words of support to the relatives of our officers," Rudenya is quoted as saying by the press service of the regional government.

The governor issued orders to provide all necessary assistance to the families of the pilots.

Earlier, the governor of the Orenburg Region, Denis Pasler, said on his Telegram channel that pilots from Orenburg were on board.

The Ilyushin-76 military transport plane crashed in the Ivanovo Region. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the plane's engine caught fire during takeoff for a scheduled flight. There were eight crew members and seven passengers were on board.