Russian Su-30 Crashes in Occupied Crimea

A Russian Su-30 multi-role fighter jet crashed in the temporarily occupied Crimea.

The loss of the aircraft was announced by the Ministry of Defense of the aggressor country.

It is reported that the plane crashed during a training flight.

The two-person crew managed to eject. The pilots were evacuated by a ground search and rescue team.

Russian propagandist Ilya Tumanov, who runs a specialized aviation channel, stated that the crash was caused by an engine fire.

Su-30 in the war against Ukraine

Russia uses Su-30 fighters primarily to patrol the airspace over the temporarily occupied territory and to provide cover for other aircraft, particularly bombers.

These aircraft are also deployed to intercept Ukrainian drones and missiles. In addition, the occupiers use the Su-30 to a limited extent to strike ground targets with aerial bombs and missiles.

At the same time, losses of this type of fighter have been among the highest among the aggressor’s aircraft during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Defense Forces are destroying aircraft of this type not only in the air but also on the ground. In particular, in 2025, the Security Service destroyed one Su-30SM and damaged another at the Saki airfield in occupied Crimea.

New modification

The Russian Air Force and the Russian Navy’s aviation are receiving new Su-30SM2 fighters, which are a further development of the base model.

It is reported that these aircraft have been equipped with an upgraded suite of onboard avionics, a modern electronic warfare system, and are capable of employing new types of airborne weapons.

Today, the Su-30 is Russia’s only truly commercially successful fighter jet. Read more about this aircraft in the article: “Su-30: Why This Russian Fighter Jet Become Commercially Successful”.