MOSCOW: A Russian MiG-31 fighter jet crashed over the Pacific Ocean during a training mission and the whereabouts of its two pilots were not immediately known and a search is on.
The Russian military said in its statement that the MiG-31 aircraft crashed in Avacha Bay on the southeast coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula. It said rescue teams were searching for two crew members of the aircraft. The army said there were no weapons on board. It did not immediately provide any further details and did not specify what may have caused the crash.
The MiG-31 is a two-seat twin-engine supersonic fighter aircraft designed to intercept enemy aircraft and cruise missiles at long ranges. It has been in service with the Soviet and Russian Air Forces since the 1980s.
