Russian Su-30SM crashed in Syria, 2 killed
A Russian military Su-30SMjet has crashed off the coast of Syria’s Latakia, killing two pilots. Su-30SM went down in the Mediterranean Sea after taking off from Khmeimim Airbase.
Pilots “fought to take the aircraft under control till the last minute,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The crash may have been caused by a bird hitting the engine, the ministry said, citing preliminary data. The aircraft did not come under fire.
According to the ministry of defense, the crash happened around 9:45 Moscow time over the Mediterranean Sea. At the time of the crash, the aircraft gained altitude. Presumably, a bird caught the engine of the fighter. “Both pilots, who fought for the plane until the last minutes,” the report said.
She Su-30SM is a multirole fighter aircraft developed by JSC Sukhoi Design Bureau for the Russian Air Force.
Russian Air Force Su-30 seen at the country’s master air base in Syria in 2016. The type has been present in the country since Russian tactical aircraft started to arrive there in the fall of 2015.