Two Su-34 jets collide over Tatar Strait - source

Two Sukhoi Su-34 fighter bomber aircraft have collided mid-air during flights over the Tatar Strait in Russia’s Khabarovsk Region, a source in the regional law enforcement agencies said.

"According to preliminary data, the emergency occurred over the Tatar Strait. Two Su-34 jets vanished from radar screens close to the inhabited community of Nelma in Sovetsko-Gavansky District. They presumably collided mid-air," TASS cited the source as saying.

The search operation is underway.

Earlier, a source said that both planes were flying from the sea when they collided mid-air. The crew of one aircraft ejected, while the second plane will probably be able to return to the base. However, the fate of both crews is unknown yet.