Moment Russian fighter jet crashes into a residential area in Yeysk, a town near the border with Ukraine
Russian jet crashes into a residential area after engine failure
A Russian military plane crashed into a residential area in Yeisk, a city in southwestern Russia near the border with Ukraine, on Monday, Russian news agencies reported, citing the Defense Ministry. Yeysk is a city of about 90,000 people and is home to a large Russian air base.
“At the crash site of the Sukhoi Su-34 in the courtyard of one of the residential areas, the fuel of the aircraft caught fire,” the ministry said shortly after images on social media showed buildings engulfed in flames.
Unconfirmed footage on social media showed a large fireball erupting from what appeared to be a multi-storey building. The agencies said the pilots ejected and officials were trying to get information about casualties on the ground.
The Su-34 bomber crashed after one of its engines caught fire during takeoff, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
Both crew members were reported to have escaped safely, but the plane crashed into a residential area, causing a fire as tonnes of fuel exploded on impact.
The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin was immediately informed of the crash and ordered the health and emergency ministers to head to the site along with the local governor.
Regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said emergency services were working to put out the fire.
Local authorities said the massive fire engulfed several floors of the nine-story apartment building and affected at least 17 apartments. There was no immediate information about the victims.
