Two Russian Su-30 jets collide in air over Kaliningrad

An unusual incident in the Russian Air Force: a Russian Su-30 fighter jet crashed during a training flight over the Kaliningrad region, and new details now emerging point to something Moscow did not initially disclose.

According to a report published this week, two Su-30 jets were damaged in the incident on 21 October. One crashed; the other managed to return to base despite severe damage to its wing.

Photographs now circulating show the second aircraft, an Su-30SM2 model, with the outer section of its wing torn and visibly compromised. Parts of the structure are missing, internal components exposed. Assessments suggest the damage will require extensive structural repairs and likely a full wing replacement at the manufacturer's facility.

Two Russian fighter jets collide mid-air; Moscow tries to hide full extent (Photo: social media)

The prevailing assessment is that the two aircraft collided during a joint manoeuvre as part of an air-training exercise.

The incident took place over Chernyakhovsk in the Kaliningrad region, the Russian exclave on the Baltic coast bordered by Poland and Lithuania, both NATO members. The two pilots aboard the crashed jet activated their ejection seats and parachuted out before impact. They were recovered by search-and-rescue teams, and according to the Russian Defence Ministry statement their lives were not in danger.

In its initial announcement, the Russian Defence Ministry said the Su-30 had crashed during a planned training flight, in an unpopulated area and carrying no munitions. Moscow gave no cause for the crash and made no mention of a second aircraft being involved.