A Russian Su-30SM fighter (NATO: Flanker-H) crashed in Russian-occupied Crimea on Friday, April 3, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry, as reported by Ukrainian outlet Krym.Realii.
The ministry said the incident occurred around 11 a.m. Moscow time (08:00 UTC) during a training flight.
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Crew survives crash
According to the Russian statement, the aircraft was not carrying weapons at the time of the crash.
The crew reportedly ejected and was evacuated by a search-and-rescue team, with no threat to their lives mentioned.
Ukraine’s military has not reported shooting down an aerial target over Crimea in connection with the incident.
In May 2025, Ukrainian maritime drones downed two Russian Su-30 fighter jets over the Black Sea near Novorossiysk using AIM-9M missiles.
On March 10, Russia’s Ministry of Transport said that a Russian gas tanker was attacked near Malta’s territorial waters in the Mediterranean, catching fire and later sinking, and blamed Ukraine for the incident.
The tanker, Arctic Metagaz, was carrying liquefied natural gas and is considered part of a so-called Russian “shadow fleet” transporting energy supplies under US and European sanctions.
In December 2025, The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) carried out its first known strike on a tanker belonging to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” in neutral waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The operation, described by sources as unprecedented, was conducted more than 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles) from Ukraine.
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