A Russian military jet has crashed off the coast of Latakia Syria, killing two pilots. This event has been confirmed by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
"On Thursday morning, the Russian Su-30SM crashed in the Mediterranean Sea after taking off from Khmeimim Air Base.The pilots struggled to control the plane until the last minute," the Russian defense ministry said. Both died from the incident, Thursday (03/05/2018).
The accident was probably caused by a bird that hit the engine, the ministry said, citing preliminary data. The frigid plane itself did not catch fire in the incident.
The Su-30SM is the first warplane in the Su-30 "Flankers" family to be retired by the Russian military.
Russian military aircraft deployed in Syria as part of an agreement between Moscow and Damascus. In 2017, Russian and Syrian authorities agreed to extend their presence in the country after President Vladimir Putin ordered the withdrawal of large numbers of troops from Syria.
The Khmeimim air base near Latakia and the naval sites in the port city of Tartus have been submitted to Russia for 49 years with automatic renewal options.
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