On 9 December 2025, the last operational Antonov An-22 aircraft, operated by the Russian Air Force, crashed shortly after takeoff due to an in-flight breakup, killing all five crew members and two passengers. The aircraft was conducting a test flight prior to returning to service following heavy maintenance when the aircraft broke up midair and crashed into a lake (Uvod'skoye Vodokhranilishche) near Ivanovo, Russia at approximately 11:00 MSK.
The aircraft involved was a Antonov An-22A, registered as RF-08832, msn 053484317/07-04, manufactured in 1975, equipped with four Kuznetsov NK-12MA turboprop engines.
There were five crew members on board: Captain Sergey Shmakov, who was also a Major for the Russian Air Force, first officer Dmitry Yatsenko, flight officer Kirill Vakulenko, flight engineer Alexey Dorofeev, who was also a Senior Lieutenant for the Russian Air Force, and system engineer Igor Belyakov.
The aircraft was performing a test flight after heavy maintenance. While the aircraft was on its initial climb, it broke up midair, and crashed into a lake at approximately 11:00 Moscow Time, killing all five crew members and two passengers.
The aircraft was the final operating Antonov An-22. After the crash, the Antonov An-22 was reported to have been retired from active service.