Russian fighter jet crashes, crew eject safely
MOSCOW (AP) – Russia’s military says one of its fighter jets has crashed, but its crew of two bailed out safely.
The Defense Ministry said a Su-27 fighter jet went down Thursday during a regular training mission. It fell into a forest near the Besovets air base in Karelia near Lake Onega, about 700 kilometers (430 miles) northwest of Moscow.
The ministry said that both crewmen were picked up by a helicopter and remained in satisfactory condition. The air force has grounded its Su-27 fleet pending a crash probe.
The twin-engined Su-27 has been a mainstay of the Soviet and then Russian air force since it entered service in the 1980s. The Su-27 and its versions also have been widely exported.
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