Russian Su-30 fighter jet crashes in Syria

The Russian Defense Ministry announced the crash of a Russian Su-30SM fighter jet in Syria, reports . Interfax

Details

• The plane crash occurred on Thursday at about 09:45 Moscow time over the Mediterranean Sea. The plane was gaining altitude after taking off from the Russian Khmeimim airbase. Both pilots were killed, according to the agency.
• According to preliminary information, the cause of the crash could be a bird getting into the engine. “There was no fire impact on the aircraft,” the military department said in a statement.
• Earlier, a Russian plane crashed into the Mediterranean near the Khmeimim airbase, reported . SkyNews Arabia
• Photographs of the fall were released by Syrian activist Mohammed Gorab, the Conflict Intelligence Team said .

https://twitter.com/MGhorab3/status/991947153810522113

Context

• The Su-30SM multifunctional fighter made its first flight in 1989 and has been in service with the Russian army since 1992. The aircraft is capable of carrying air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons. Designed to gain air supremacy, block enemy airfields, destroy air, ground and sea targets.
• The crash of the Su-30SM occurred a month after another plane crash in Syria: on March 6, a Russian An-26 military transport aircraft crashed in Syria while landing near the Khmeimim base. There were 39 people on board, all of them died.
• During the operation in Syria, Russia lost two Su-24s in Syria (one was shot down by Turkey in November 2015, the second crashed at the Khmeimim airbase in October 2017), Su-33 (rolled out of the deck of the Admiral Kuznetsov in December 2016) and MiG-29 (according to the official version, it crashed over the sea due to a technical malfunction in November 2016), Su-25 (shot down near Idlib in February 2018). In addition, two Mi-8s, two Mi-35Ms and two Mi-28s were lost.