Ukraine's military plane crash death toll rises to 26

KIEV - The death toll from the Ukrainian military plane crash rose to 26, after one of the two people with serious condition died in hospital, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said on Saturday.

The An-26 military aircraft with 27 people on board crashed on Friday. The plane was performing a training flight and was landing at the airfield of a military base near the city of Chuguev, Kharkiv region.

The other survivor of the plane crash, a third-year cadet of the Kharkiv National Air Force University, can be discharged from the hospital next week since there is no threat to his life, and his condition is stable, the State Emergency Service said.

According to the office, criminal proceedings were instituted for violation of flight rules, which caused a crash and serious consequence.

Interfax Ukraine news agency reported that head of the Kharkiv Regional Administration Oleksiy Kucher had arrived at the crash site.

According to Kucher, before the plane crash, the pilot reported failure in the left engine.

Kucher noted that such a situation is not critical for an experienced pilot and the tragedy's exact cause needs further investigation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media that he would fly to the Kharkiv region on Saturday.

Zelensky said a commission was urgently set up to investigate the circumstances and causes of the tragedy.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has also made relevant instructions. And a search team is working on the spot.