Russian fighter jet crashes near aircraft carrier off Syria

A Russian fighter jet crashed into the sea while trying to land on the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier off the coast of Syria in the Mediterranean Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry said yesterday, November 14.

An aircraft is landing on the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. (Illustration photo: AFP)

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the MiG-29K fighter jet crashed into the sea due to technical problems when it was only a few kilometers from the aircraft carrier deck. The pilot of the plane was lucky to escape and was rescued by a foreign ship.

However, the Russian side did not specify the time of the accident, only saying that the plane had an accident while on a training flight.

The Russian Defense Ministry stressed: "The carrier-led naval group will continue its operations in the Mediterranean as planned. Flights of fighter jets will also continue."

The MiG-29K is a Soviet-era multirole fighter jet designed to attack both air and ground targets. The Admiral Kuznetsov is Russia’s only aircraft carrier. Late last month, Russia deployed an eight-ship flotilla led by the Kuznetsov to the Mediterranean Sea off Syria in an apparent effort to support air strikes there.

In an interview last weekend, the ship's commander, Sergei Artamonov, said that planes had been taking off from the aircraft carrier for the past four days to survey the area.

According toPeople's Intelligence