The Su-30 spun out of control before nosediving and then exploding when it smashed into the ground in Kaliningrad (Picture: east2west)
A Russian warplane crashed during a training mission in Kaliningrad on Saturday, killing both pilots on board.
The Su-30 spun out of control before nosediving and then exploding when it smashed into the ground in the Baltic Sea exclave.
It occurred close to the so-called Suwalki Corridor, a 60-mile stretch between Kaliningrad and Russian ally Belarus which has been dubbed NATO’s ‘weakest link’.
There are fears troops from thee Wagner mercenary group could be used as a provocation in strip, which forms the only land link between member states Poland and Lithuania.
Officials said the crash was likely caused by a ‘technical fault’.
‘The Su-30 aircraft crashed in a deserted area. The flight was carried out without ammunition. The crew died,’ local military authorities said.
The Su-30 has been used extensively during Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The downed fighter jet is the eighth military aircraft Vladimir Putin has lost this year (Picture: AFP via Getty)
The downed fighter jet is the eighth military aircraft Vladimir Putin has lost this year.
Last month, two Russian fighter jets crashed while on training missions — one into the Pacific and one into the Sea of Azov.
The crash was captured on video, with onlookers heard saying: ‘What a nightmare. A plane crashed.
‘It exploded. The pilots didn’t even eject….what a horror.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
The downed fighter jet is the eighth military aircraft Vladimir Putin has lost this year.