The key facts
- On October 21, Russia's Ministry of Defense confirmed the crash of a Su-30 in Kaliningrad Oblast during a scheduled training flight; the pilots ejected and their lives are not in danger.
- Military bloggers (Fighterbomber, 'Voyvoda Veschaet', Kirill Fyodorov) pointed to the loss of a second Su-30 the same day; according to their information, the crew of the second aircraft was killed — not officially confirmed.
- The Ukrainian portal 'Milinform' suggested it may involve the Su-30SM modification; a Su-30 crash had already occurred in the region in August 2023.
Confirmed crash in Kaliningrad Oblast
According to DW, Russia's Ministry of Defense reported on October 21 the crash of a Su-30 fighter in Kaliningrad Oblast. According to official information, the aircraft was performing a scheduled training flight, carried no munitions on board, and crashed on uninhabited territory. The ministry stated that the pilots managed to eject and were evacuated; their lives are not in danger.
Reports of a second lost aircraft
Later, pro-Russian military blogger Kirill Fyodorov published a photograph of a Su-30 on his Telegram channel, stating that two aircraft had been lost in one day. Telegram channels linked to the Aerospace Forces, Fighterbomber and 'Voyvoda Veschaet', also spread messages pointing to a second crash: Fighterbomber wrote 'Trouble never comes alone' without giving details, while 'Voyvoda Veschaet' called the day 'extremely hard' for the Aerospace Forces. According to the bloggers, the crew of the second aircraft was killed. At the time of publication, the Ministry of Defense had made no statement about this incident; the location and circumstances of the loss of the second aircraft have not been disclosed.
Unconfirmed versions and previous losses
The Ukrainian portal 'Milinform' suggested that it may involve the Su-30SM modification; this information has not been officially confirmed. DW recalled that a Su-30 crash had already occurred in Kaliningrad Oblast: in August 2023, such a fighter crashed during a training flight, and the crew was killed. The outlet also listed non-combat losses of Russian military aviation: according to the Ministry of Defense, on September 29 a strategic Tu-95 bomber crashed during a training flight in Amur Oblast — six crew members were killed and one was injured. In addition, in the early hours of April 1, the ministry acknowledged the crash of an An-26 military transport aircraft in annexed Crimea, where six crew members and 23 passengers were killed.
