RUSSIA: On Monday, a fighter jet accident in a residential neighbourhood of Yeysk, a town in southwest Russia close to Ukraine, claimed at least 13 lives. Rescuers found 10 bodies during the removal of debris following the crash. According to the Russian emergencies ministry’s representative, out of the 13 fatalities, 3 were children.
Nineteen people were injured in the incident. Around 360 people were evacuated along with 68 people who were saved during the rescue operation. A Su-34 fighter jet with supersonic capabilities crashed into a residential building on Monday. According to Russian state media, the cause of the crash was identified as the ignition of one of the engines by the country’s defence ministry.
The pilots of the doomed fighter jet had ejected before the crash. By their reports, one of the engines ignited during take-off while performing a training flight from the military airfield of the Southern Military District.
The plane’s fuel ignited on impact, as it rammed into the courtyard of one of the residential quarters. Yeysk is situated across the water from Mariupol, a war-torn city that is now under Russian control.
Earlier, Russia attacked the capital of Kyiv with Iranian-made ‘kamikaze’ drones in which at least four people were killed. In the aftermath of the increasing frequency of such ‘kamikaze’ drone attacks, Ukrainian officials urged the Western Allies to supply Ukraine with more advanced air defence systems.
Drones have been a topic of concern for the Ukrainian defence systems as their role has been significant in the conflict. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, drones acquired upgraded drones from Iran over the last few months. But the Iranian government has vehemently denied supplying tactical weapons and drones to Russia.
In videos that surfaced on social media, the residential quarters could be seen engulfed in flames as multiple explosions echoed in the background as the ammunition on board the fighter jet began to detonate following the crash
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