Support The Moscow Times!

3 Russian Soldiers Reported Dead After Transport Vehicle Falls Off Cliff

Three Russian servicemen were reportedly killed when their armored vehicle fell into a gorge in the Georgian breakaway republic of Abkhazia.

Online footage of the incident’s aftermath showed a BTR-80 armored personnel carrier (APC) in a ravine below a mountainous road. The RBC news website cited Russia’s Southern Military District as saying the vehicle fell on Friday as it followed a convoy returning from a mountain range.

“Three servicemen were killed in the accident,” the military district press service told Interfax on Monday.

Two other soldiers were injured and airlifted to a military hospital, it added.

A military commission is considering human error and technical malfunction as the likely causes of the deadly incident.

Moscow recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, another breakaway region, in August 2008 following a war with Georgia. More than four-fifths of Abkhazians are Russian citizens.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more