In a statement published earlier Monday, the RSF called the aircraft, which was downed in Sudan’s Malha region in northern Darfur, a “foreign warplane” aiding the Sudanese military and accused it of dropping “barrel bombs” on civilians.

The Russian embassy in Sudan says it is investigating reports that a cargo plane with Russian crew was shot down in Darfur, a key battle ground in the civil war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

A military plane thought to be carrying two Russian crew was downed by Sudanese paramilitary rebels. Fighters from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said they had used an anti-aircraft missile to shoot down a government cargo jet in the western North Darfur state.