On 13 November, a Russian Su-30 fighter jet crashed in the Republic of Karelia near the border with Finland. According to local media reports, both pilots were killed.
Russian Telegram channels SHOT and 112 reported that the aircraft went down in a forested area near Petrozavodsk, not far from the city’s civilian airport. The incident occurred during a flight of the two-seat combat aircraft over the Prionezhsky district of Karelia. SHOT noted that the crew “were unable to eject,” and rescue teams and investigative authorities are working at the crash site. Channel 112 added that the fighter crashed shortly after takeoff, though the cause of the accident has not yet been disclosed.
At the same time, SHOT suggested that the downed aircraft might have been a Su-27 rather than a Su-30, noting that “the exact model is still being verified.” The head of Karelia stated that the aircraft had been conducting a training flight when it went down in a forested area.
The crash occurred near the Besovets airbase, where the 159th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment is stationed. The unit is part of the 105th Guards Mixed Aviation Division and operates both Su-27 and Su-30SM aircraft. Reports also indicate that the wreckage was found in a wooded area and that no damage to civilian structures or infrastructure was recorded.
The Su-30SM is one of the key multirole fighters of the Russian Aerospace Forces, used for air-to-air combat, interception, and strikes against ground targets. The aircraft is equipped with thrust-vectoring engines, a phased-array radar, and a combat radius suitable for operations in Russia’s northern regions. Its standard weapons load includes R-77 and R-73 air-to-air missiles, as well as guided munitions for engaging ground targets.
The 159th Guards Regiment traditionally carries out air-defense missions in the northwest of the Russian Federation. Stationed in Besovets, it regularly takes part in joint patrols, training flights, and combat duty. Although part of its fleet is undergoing modernization, older aircraft variants still remain in service.
It is worth recalling that in May 2025, Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence reported a unique incident. For the first time in history, a Magura V5 naval drone shot down a Russian Su-30 fighter near Novorossiysk. This became a historic precedent in the use of unmanned maritime systems against manned aircraft.
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Source: united24media
