On June 10, 2025, in Yakutia, an An-2 aircraft, which was flying on a mission for the Avialesookhrana, sent a distress signal and stopped communicating. This was reported to RIA Novosti by the Ministry of Ecology of the republic. According to the department, there were two crew members and an observer pilot on board, however, Rosaviatsia specified that the total number of people on board could reach five, including two pilots and three observer specialists.

The incident occurred in the morning in the Verkhoyansk Ridge area, where the An-2 was monitoring forest fires. The aircraft belongs to the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Avialesookhrana" and was used to assess the situation with wildfires, which in 2025 engulfed over 1,2 million hectares of forests in Yakutia. Local residents interviewed by the Telegram channel "Yakutia 24" reported a possible observation of a low-flying aircraft in the Yana River area, but the exact location has not yet been established.

The An-2, known as the "maize maker," is a reliable but aging aircraft used to patrol hard-to-reach areas. In 2024, Russia recorded three An-2 incidents, including a hard landing in the Krasnoyarsk region caused by engine failure.