The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) officially announced in a statement that its air defenses shot down an Ilyushin-76 aircraft early this morning, Monday, October 21, in the Malha area of North Darfur. The RSF provided photos and videos showing the wreckage of the aircraft and charred bodies, along with documents and identification, including a Russian passport. The black box of the aircraft was also displayed. As of this moment, the Sudanese army has not issued any official comment on the incident.

In contrast, Sudan War Monitor—a site of unknown ownership, rumored to be based in the United States and reportedly run by individuals supportive of the Sudanese army and the former regime—denied that the downed plane belonged to the army. The site published a misleading and unprofessional report, which has been widely circulated by media outlets supportive of the army. The report claimed that the aircraft was coming from the UAE, loaded with supplies and equipment for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and that it was mistakenly shot down due to a lack of coordination between the RSF’s central command and field units. This misinformation spread rapidly across social media platforms.

However, reliable military and security sources we consulted confirmed that the Ilyushin aircraft shot down by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Malha area belonged to the Sudanese army. It was one of two Ilyushin planes owned by the army. A source at the military airbase in Port Sudan reported that the aircraft had taken off on a military mission to El Fasher, where it successfully delivered military supplies, including weapons, ammunition, and medical aid to the 6th Infantry Division. On its return flight, it was shot down over Malha, northeast of El Fasher.

The source also confirmed that, in addition to the Russian pilot and co-pilot, the plane was carrying three members of the Sudanese Air Force: Colonel Pilot Al-Moaiz Omar Abashar, Air Engineer Babiker Al-Sayed Gadoura, and Technical Assistant Sufyan Khalafallah. All five on board were killed, and their bodies were severely burned.

The downing of the Ilyushin aircraft today exposes the falsehoods propagated by certain media outlets that have been promoting lies and spreading war propaganda, prolonging the conflict. This incident also brings to light the issue of Russian mercenaries, along with Ukrainian mercenaries before them, who are fighting on behalf of the Sudanese army, exacerbating the conflict and committing atrocities against civilians through targeted attacks on civilian areas and facilities using drones and airstrikes.

(Sudan Gate)