In Mali, a military plane owned by the Russian private military company Wagner skidded off the runway at Gao Airport on Saturday, resulting in 140 fatalities. The Ilyushin IL-76 military transport plane caught fire during landing. Video footage showed the aircraft unable to stop on the runway, ultimately going off an embankment after crossing the ring road. Among the victims was a Russian pilot. An investigation is underway, with initial suspicions pointing to a possible malfunction in the aircraft’s fuel tank.

Gao Airport serves Malian soldiers, Wagner mercenaries, and UN stabilization mission military personnel. The plane had been in the Air Force’s possession for about a week before the accident.

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ECO Leaders Meet in Khankendi for 17th Summit

Name: Plane carrying Wagner mercenaries skidded off the runway in Mali: 140 dead
Uploaded: 2023-09-28
Channel: Hasan Esat Yüzbaşıoğulları
Description: In Mali, a military plane owned by the Russian private military company Wagner skidded off the runway at Gao Airport on Saturday, resulting in 140 fatalities. The Ilyushin IL-76 military transport plane caught fire during landing. Video footage showe

On Jul 4, 2025

The 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) convened in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, with the participation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other regional leaders. Hosted by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the summit brought together heads of state and government from Iran, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

In his speech, President Erdoğan criticized Israel’s regional actions, stating, “We can neither abandon the Palestinian cause nor remain silent as the Netanyahu administration turns our region into a bloodbath.” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian defended recent Iranian military actions under the UN Charter’s right to self-defense. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said, “Currently, Azerbaijan is building new cities and villages on the lands that Armenia turned into ruins, the Great Return program is being implemented.”

Established in 1985 as a continuation of the earlier RCD platform, the ECO aims to boost regional cooperation among its 10 member states. The summit, held every two years, facilitates joint initiatives across sectors such as trade, transport, energy, and health.

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