2 pilots killed as Russian Su-34 fighter jet crashes

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - A Russian Su-34 fighter jet crashed on Tuesday during a training flight in Russia's North Ossetia region in the North Caucasus, killing two pilots, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"In the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, a Su-34 aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces crashed in a mountainous area while performing a planned training flight. The plane crashed in a deserted area. The crew was killed," the statement read.

The ministry identified a technical malfunction as the preliminary cause of the crash, noting that a special commission is working on the scene to establish all the circumstances of the incident.

Separately, the Russian state media, citing a source in the emergency services, said there were two pilots on board.