Russian Su-30 fighter jet crashes in occupied Crimea during training flight, Kremlin Defense Ministry claims
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A Su-30 fighter jet went down in occupied Crimea during what was allegedly a training flight, Russia's Defense Ministry said on April 3.
The crash occurred at around 11 a.m. Moscow time. The aircraft was not carrying weapons, the minsitry claimed.
The crew ejected and was recovered by a search-and-rescue team. The pilots' lives are not in danger, the ministry said.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims. Ukraine had not commented on the incident at the time of publication.
The Su-30 is a two-seat, multirole variant with longer range and upgraded avionics for air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
Russia uses these fighter jets over Ukraine mainly for air patrols, intercepting Ukrainian aircraft, and supporting deadly strikes.
Ukraine routinely carries out operations in Russian-occupied territories and inside Russia to weaken Russian military capabilities.
Ukrainian forces have also downed Russian aircraft over the Black Sea. In May 2025, Ukraine used U.S.-made AIM-9 missiles launched from Magura sea drones to shoot down two Su-30 fighter jets.
In late December, Ukrainian partisans set ablaze two Russian Su-30 fighter jets during an operation in Russia's Lipetsk Oblast.
