Russian fighter jet crashes in occupied Crimea

A Russian Su-30 fighter jet crashed in the temporarily occupied Crimea during a training flight. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the crew managed to eject and survived, but the circumstances of the incident remain unclear.

The incident was reported by the spokesman for the Ukrainian Volunteer Army, Serhiy Bratchuk.

On April 3, it became known that a Russian two-seat, fourth-generation multi-purpose fighter jet had crashed in the temporarily occupied Crimea.

The Su-30 is designed to perform combat missions over long distances and can stay in the air for a long time. Over the past few days, this is the fourth loss of aviation by the Russian army. At the same time, a Russian propaganda outlet reported the loss of another Su-30.

According to them, the plane crashed in Crimea around 11:00 Moscow time during a training flight. It is also claimed that the fighter was flying without ammunition.

The Russian Defense Ministry assures that the crew ejected and the pilots were evacuated by a search and rescue team. According to them, there is no threat to their lives.

This is the fourth plane lost by Russia in recent days. The Su-30 is a Russian two-seat multi-role fighter of the 4++ generation, based on the Su-27UB. Its main functions are air superiority, long-range patrolling, escorting strategic aviation, radar surveillance and coordination of other aircraft.

On the evening of March 31, a Russian An-26 military transport aircraft crashed in annexed Crimea.

According to information disseminated by Russian resources with reference to the Russian Defense Ministry, initially, contact with the aircraft was lost. The ministry claimed that there were no signs of fire damage, and search and rescue teams were sent to the area.

Later, there were reports of fatalities. In particular, telegram channels reported 29 people - 6 crew members and 23 passengers were on board. At the same time, pro-Ukrainian sources report that the plane could have crashed in the Belbek Valley near Sevastopol.

Анна Бальчінос