Russian fighter jet crashes again in residential area... second time in a week

11th Non-Combat Incident Since the Outbreak of War
Impact of Increased Sortie Frequency and Parts Shortage

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] A Russian fighter jet crashed into a residential area on its own territory during a flight training exercise, killing two pilots. This is the second fighter jet crash accident within a week. Frequent fighter jet sorties, rushed production at factories, and maintenance negligence due to parts shortages have been pointed out as causes.

According to the Associated Press (AP) on the 23rd (local time), a Russian Air Force Sukhoi (SU)-30 fighter jet crashed into a house in Irkutsk, eastern Siberia, killing two pilots. Igor Kobzev, governor of Irkutsk, stated, "No casualties occurred on the ground."

Irkutsk, with a population of 600,000, is the largest city and industrial center of Irkutsk Oblast and is home to the SU-30 fighter jet production plant. The manufacturer of the fighter jet, the Russian state-owned aircraft manufacturer United Aircraft Corporation, issued a statement explaining that the aircraft crashed during flight training before being delivered to the Air Force, adding that the aircraft was not armed.

The exact cause of the crash is not yet known, but AP reported, "Videos posted on Russian social networking services (SNS) confirm that the aircraft fell almost vertically."

Earlier, on the 17th, another fighter jet crash occurred in Russia. This is the second crash accident in less than a week. At that time, a Russian SU-34 bomber caught fire in one engine shortly after taking off for flight training and crashed into an apartment in a southern Russian city near Ukraine, killing 15 people.

AP counted this fighter jet crash as the 11th non-combat accident since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February. It is analyzed that the increase in Russian military aircraft sorties, the rise in hastily produced fighter jets, and difficulties in maintenance due to disrupted parts supply caused by sanctions against Russia have led to an increase in crash accidents.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.