The two Su-34 fighter bombers were performing a training mission
The Russian Defense Ministry says that two Su-34 fighter bombers have collided in midair in the Far East on Jan. 18, 2019.
According to the Russian military, the two Su-34 fighter bombers were performing a training mission when they came into contact about 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the shore in the Sea of Japan.
As reported by The Economic Times, both crews ejected from their aircraft but it was not immediately clear where they were. Rescue crews have been dispatched to the area. There was no immediate information about the fate of the aircraft.
The Russian military said the fighter jets were not armed.
The Sukhoi Su-34 (NATO reporting name: Fullback) is a Russian twin-engine, twin-seat, all-weather supersonic medium-range fighter-bomber/strike aircraft. It first flew in 1990 and entered service with the Russian Air and Space Force (RuASF) in 2014.
Based on the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker air superiority fighter, the Su-34 has an armored cockpit for side-by-side seating of its two-man crew. The Su-34 is designed primarily for tactical deployment against ground and naval targets (tactical bombing/attack/interdiction roles, including against small and mobile targets) on solo and group missions in the daytime and at night, under favorable and adverse weather conditions and in a hostile environment with counter-fire and Electronic Warfare (EW) counter-measures deployed, as well as for aerial reconnaissance. The Su-34 will eventually replace the Su-24 tactical strike fighter.
Photo by Vadim Savitsky Mil.ru via Wikipedia
