US suspected in drone attack on Russian plane in Libya, possible ties to Wagner Group
Satellite images have confirmed the destruction of a Russian Il-76 transport plane stationed at the Al-Jufra base in Libya. This vast aircraft succumbed to an attack likely initiated by American forces using drones or missiles, with the intention of eliminating members of the Wagner Group. The Pentagon currently refrains from commenting on these reports.
12:35 PM EST, December 20, 2023
The Mighty Il-76
The quad-engine Il-76, a Soviet design, commenced production in 1974. Approximately a thousand of these machines have been produced to date, making it one of the most popular transport planes. There are both civilian and military versions, the latter being slightly larger and equipped with a GSh-23L tail automatic cannon featuring a caliber of 23 mm.
The Il-76 requires a crew of 6-7 people, and the aircraft can achieve a top speed of approximately 559.23 miles per hour at an altitude of around 42,650 feet, but the average speed is typically around 466.03 mph. With a length of 152.88 feet and a fuselage width of 15.75 feet, it offers almost 8,310.57 cubic feet of cargo space. Its 165.68 feet wingspan features four mounted Soloviev D-30KP turbojet engines.
Depending on its version, the Il-76 has a range between 2,485.48 to 2,734.63 miles and requires a take-off run of 5,577.43 feet. However, it only needs a runway of 2,953.49 feet for landing, an impressive feat for a machine that weighs approximately 96.85 tons. This type of craft is used in the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, where it's used for parabolic flights to acclimate Russian space crews to zero-gravity conditions.
The Ill-fated Il-76 in Al-Jufra
While there's no certain information about the Il-76 from Al-Jufra, multiple sources categorize it as "Russian". This is logical, considering the base where it was stationed is known to be utilized by the Wagner Group.
The plane is believed to have reached Al-Jufra from a base in Syria and was supposed to depart carrying electronic devices for another Russian unit. It's yet another Il-76 that the Russians have lost outside the Ukrainian front recently. Five of these aircraft were destroyed during a single attack on a base near Pskov, carried out by defenders of the attacked Ukraine.
