Su-34 Fighter Jet Crashes Russia, Both Pilots Killed

A Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber crashed in the mountainous region of North Ossetia killing it's two crew members.

"In the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, a Su-34 aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces crashed during a scheduled training flight in a mountainous area. The plane went down in a deserted area," A Russian MoD press release said.

The preliminary cause of the crash was a technical malfunction, the MoD said.

According to analysts, the crash was likely due to a breakdown that occurred during the flight, leaving the crew with virtually no chance of survival.

A special commission will investigate all the circumstances of the incident. Specialists have already been dispatched to the scene.

While the Russian Ministry of Defense has not provided details, military bloggers claim the Su-34 crashed while being relocated to another airfield further east.

Russia has been moving it's air assets as far away from the Ukrainian front as possible due to increasing reach of Kyiv's attack drones.