Russian Su-25 crashes during training flight in Far East, Russia's Defense Ministry says
A Russian Su-25 attack aircraft crashed during a routine training flight in Primorye Krai in Russia's Far East, the Russian Defense Ministry said on March 24.
The pilot successfully ejected and was rescued by a search and rescue team, according to state-owned news agency TASS. A Russian Air Force commission has been dispatched to investigate the incident.
"According to preliminary information, the cause of the accident was a technical malfunction," the ministry said in a statement.
The attack aircraft was reportedly without ammunition, so there was no damage on the ground, the report said.
The Su-25, a Soviet-designed close-air support aircraft developed by Sukhoi in the late 1970s, is built for battlefield survivability. It features heavy armor and can withstand enemy fire.
The aircraft has been widely used in various conflicts, including in Afghanistan, Chechnya, and, more recently, in Ukraine, where both Russian and Ukrainian forces operate the platform.
Ukraine has downed multiple Russian Su-25s throughout the war. On Feb. 8, Ukraine's military reported shooting down a Russian Su-25 near the town of Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
