Russian warplane crashes into Azov sea

A Russian warplane crashed into the sea on Monday during a training mission in southern Russia and its pilot bailed out to safety, Russian authorities said.

The regional administration of the Krasnodar region said that the Su-25 ground attack jet crashed into the Sea of Azov. It said that the pilot ejected and was evacuated by emergency teams.

Russian media carried a video of the plane falling into the sea just off a crowded beach on the Yeysk Spit.

The Su-25 is a twin-engine ground attack aircraft that has been in service with the Soviet and Russian air forces since 1980s. It has been used extensively during Russia's action in Ukraine.

The Russian air force has suffered a string of crashes that some observers have attributed to a higher number of flights amid the fighting in Ukraine.