KEY POINTS
- A plane with Russian crew members was shot down in Sudan’s North Darfur state while supplying the army.
- The RSF shared documents identifying two Russians and three Sudanese soldiers on board.
- One of the Russian crew members has been linked to arms trafficking in the past.
A plane that was shot down in Sudan’s North Darfur state had Russian crew members and was being used by the army to supply the city of al-Fashir, according to the opposing Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and documents found in the wreckage.
This incident gives a glimpse into the complex supply networks fueling the 18-month conflict between Sudan’s army and the RSF, which has displaced over 11 million people and drawn in foreign involvement.
Flight data and social media posts suggest the plane, which had previously supported the RSF, had switched to supplying the army months ago. Documents and footage from the wreckage also suggest one of the Russian crew members had been involved in arms trafficking.
The RSF shared video footage showing their soldiers near the burning wreckage of the Ilyushin IL-76 transport plane. They claimed to have shot down the plane in al-Malha, north of al-Fashir, after it had delivered supplies for the army.
Foreign involvement in the conflict
According to a report by Reuters, the RSF also shared photos of documents that appeared to identify two Russian crew members and three Sudanese soldiers who were on board. An RSF source said the plane was being used to drop weapons, ammunition, and supplies for the army, which has been defending al-Fashir from RSF attacks.
According to the Centre for Information Resilience in London, the wreckage matched the design of a Russian-made Ilyushin IL-76 cargo plane. Reuters confirmed the location of the crash through the landscape shown in the footage.
Sudan’s army did not comment on the plane, and Reuters could not independently confirm how it was downed or the route it was flying.
Russian crew identified
Reuters identified two of the Russian crew members by comparing their identification documents, shared by the RSF, with social media profiles. Leaked data and facial recognition were used to verify their identities.
One crew member, 67-year-old Victor Granov, was identified through his South African driver’s license and an expired passport found in the wreckage. Granov has been linked to arms trafficking in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has ties to notorious arms dealer Victor Bout.
Another crew member, Anton Selivanets, 33, was identified from his Russian passport found at the scene. Photos of him on social media showed him with IL-76 planes used by the World Food Programme (WFP), though WFP said he was not part of their staff.
Russian authorities are investigating the incident, but the Russian foreign ministry and Sudanese military have not yet responded to requests for comment.
