A Russian fighter jet crashed in the Mediterranean Sea while trying to land on Russia's sole aircraft carrier, which is stationed off the Syrian coast, the Russian Ministry of Defense said Monday in a statement.
The plane went down several kilometres from the carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, according to the Ministry of Defense. The pilot ejected and was recovered.
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Air strikes destroy rural Aleppo hospital
Syrian and Russian air forces are accused of deliberately targeting hospitals and other rebel-held towns in Syria.
"The health of the pilot is not in danger. The pilot is ready to carry out orders," the Ministry of Defence said.
Earlier in the day, Pentagon officials said they had indications that the Russians had lost a plane, and Fox News - quoting intelligence officials - reported that the aircraft, a MiG-29K, went down after appearing to have mechanical issues shortly after takeoff. The Pentagon tracks Russian and Syrian government aircraft activity with airborne sensors and thermal-imaging satellites.
Russian news outlets reported on Saturday that Russian jets had begun operating from the Kuznetsov in an effort to bolster Russia's year-old air campaign over Syria and that they could participate in a final blitz to help Syrian troops retake the city of Aleppo. Videos posted to social media confirmed the reports, with footage showing silhouettes of MiG-29s over Idlib province.
It is unclear why the aircraft crashed; landing and taking off from an aircraft carrier is extremely difficult - even for the best-trained pilots. Russia's carrier-based air wing is relatively inexperienced compared with its US counterparts, and its deployment to the Syrian coast appears to be a combat operation and a testing ground for some of its capabilities, including the addition of new MiG-29Ks to its inventory.
As Russia's lone aircraft carrier and the Russian navy's flagship, the Kuznetsov is often derided for its age and propensity for mechanical issues. Its lack of a catapult system and ramped deck means jets such as the MiG-29K and Su-33 cannot take off fully loaded with fuel and munitions. A leftover from the Soviet Union, the  300 metre-vessel headed toward Syria in October, steaming through the English Channel as a show of force to Western Europe and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
Washington Post