Russian Su-34 bomber crashes in North Ossetia

A Russian Aerospace Forces Su-34 aircraft crashed in North Ossetian mountains during a training mission this morning, the crew did not survive, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

"In the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, in a mountainous area, an Su-34 aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces crashed during a scheduled training flight. The plane crashed in an unpopulated area. No damage on the ground was caused. The crew died," the statement reads.

There were two pilots onboard the plane. A technical malfunction is believed to be the preliminary cause of the crash.

An Aerospace Forces commission has been dispatched to the crash site, the Defense Ministry told TASS.