MOSCOW, March 31. /TASS/. Contact with an An-26 military transport aircraft has been lost during a routine flight over Crimea, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"Contact with an An-26 military transport aircraft was lost during a routine flight over Crimea at about 6:00 p.m. Moscow time (3:00 p.m. GMT). There was no report of the aircraft being struck," the statement reads.

According to the ministry, search and rescue teams have been dispatched to the scene of a potential incident. "The fate of the crew and passengers is currently unknown," the ministry added.