Russian SU-34 aircraft crashes in North Ossetia, killing crew

Russian Defence Ministry has said that a Su-34 aircraft of the Russian Air and Space Forces crashed in the mountains of North Ossetia.

"In the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania in mountainous terrain, while performing a scheduled training flight, a Su-34 aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces crashed. The aircraft went down in a deserted area. There is no damage on the ground. The crew was killed," TASS reports, citing the ministry.

The preliminary cause of the crash is a technical malfunction.

"A VKS [Air and Space Forces] commission has flown to the site of the plane's crash," the Ministry added.