Russian fighter jet crashes in Syria, two pilots killed

"The plane crashed into the Mediterranean Sea while taking off from the airport at the Hmeimim base,"AFPAccording to the announcement of the Russian Ministry of Defense on May 3.

The plane that crashed was a Su-30SM with a crew of two pilots. The Russian Defense Ministry said the two "fought to the last minute to save the plane" but were unsuccessful. Reports from the scene confirmed that the two pilots were killed.

Russian officials said the plane was not attacked with fire. Russian news agencyRIA Novostisaid the fighter jet may have hit a bird before crashing into the Mediterranean.

The Su-30SM is one of Russia's most modern aircraft deployed on the Syrian battlefield. The fighter jet is used in air strikes against rebel forces or as an escort for strategic bombers.

This is the latest Russian aviation incident in the Syrian battlefield. On March 6, a Russian An-26 military transport plane crashed while trying to land at the airport, also at the Hmeimim base. This incident killed all 39 people on board.

Earlier, a Russian Su-25 fighter jet was shot down by a surface-to-air missile in Idlib province on February 3. The pilot, identified as Major Roman Filipov, managed to parachute from the plane but died later in a firefight with Syrian rebel fighters.