In Sudan, anti-government forces shot down an Il-76 carrying a Russian crew with a Chinese-made FK-2000 air defense system. The aircraft may have been on a highly unusual mission. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which had previously operated with the support of mercenaries from the Wagner Group, shot down an Il-76 military transport aircraft belonging to the Sudanese Air Force.
Apparently, the RFS used a new Chinese FK-2000 anti-aircraft missile system to shoot down the aircraft. Sudan's brutal civil war appears to have entered a new phase of air warfare following the downing of a Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) Il-76 transport aircraft over Babanusa, West Kordofan, on or around November 4, 2025. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia claimed the shootdown, and debris found at the crash site suggests the introduction of a sophisticated, mobile air defence system that threatens the SAF's long-held air superiority.
The heavy-lift transport was reportedly on a critical mission to airdrop supplies to the SAF's 22nd Infantry Division, which is besieged by RSF forces in Babanusa. All crew members aboard the aircraft were killed. Reports on the crew's composition vary; some sources claim at least five Russian crew members were aboard, while others state it was a mixed crew of two Russians and several Sudanese personnel.
While the SAF's 22nd Division spokesman confirmed the loss of the Il-76, the official statement attributed the crash to "a sudden technical failure in the right wing, which led to a fire and loss of control." The SAF did not comment on enemy fire. This narrative, however, is contested by the evidence of weapon fragments, specifically a missile booster stage, reportedly discovered near the wreckage.
The debris found in Babanusa has been identified as belonging to a Chinese-made FK-2000 Short-Range Air Defence (SHORAD) system. This finding, if confirmed, validates reports from September 2025, when similar missile remnants were found in Kordofan. Those findings suggested that the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a key backer of the RSF, had supplied these systems to the militia via Chad.
The downed aircraft was an Ilyushin Il-76 (NATO reporting name: Candid), a four-engine, heavy-lift transport that has been the workhorse of Soviet and Russian-aligned air forces for decades. The Il-76 is valued for its ability to operate from unpaved and remote airstrips, making it ideal for the logistics of the Sudanese conflict. However, it is a large, relatively slow-moving target, especially during a low-altitude air drop, making it highly vulnerable to SHORAD systems.
This specific airframe was reportedly purchased in Kyrgyzstan just six weeks ago for $12 million, fitting a pattern of SAF and RSF proxies sourcing airframes and contract crews from Central Asian and Russian operators.