A Su-34 fighter jet from Russia faced a mishap in the Voronezh region of Central Russia on a Wednesday morning training session, as relayed by the defense ministry via TASS news.
The jet, which was unarmed at the time of the incident, went down in an uninhabited zone.
Both crew members managed to safely eject from the aircraft and were subsequently rescued. Preliminary investigations by the ministry point to a potential technical glitch as the reason behind the crash.
The Defense Ministry said two crew members who were on board the $50 million fighter jet were able to safely eject from the aircraft before it crashed at around 10 a.m. local time.
The Su-34 has been a staple in Russia’s aviation fleet, and incidents like these underscore the importance of rigorous safety protocols and equipment checks.
Earlier this week, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon plane came close to the Russian borders over the Barents Sea.
In a swift response, Moscow scrambled a MiG-31 fighter jet to ascertain the aircraft’s identity and ensure the integrity of their airspace.
To respond effectively and prevent any potential breach, a MiG-31 from the Northern Fleet’s Air Defense Forces was immediately deployed.