Beachgoers were stunned after spotting a Russian Sukhoi Su-25 crashing into the waters off the Krasnodar region.
Video shared on social media captured the moment the pilot was forced to eject from the jet in its final moments in the air.
Residents and tourists were spending the day on the beach at the popular beach resort of Yeysk, in southern Russia, when they spotted the plane experiencing considerable difficulties.
One video shared on the Baza Telegram channel shows the moment the jet hit the water with one onlooker yelling: “Holy s**t! The plane has crashed.”
In another clip, a woman can be heard asking: “Is that supposed to happen? That’s not supposed to happen, right? I’m afraid.”
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
Another man asked: “The pilot just ejected from the plane, shall we go help him or not?”
Russian officials later confirmed the plane had crashed because of engine failure during a training exercise.
They also confirmed the pilot did not survive after he became tangled in his parachute after ejecting from the plane, according to state-run agency Ria Novosti.
Yeysk has a history of incidents with Russian aviation jets crashing. In October 2022, 16 people died and several dozens were injured after a Su-34 jet plunged into an apartment building.
The crash came hours after Russian authorities ramped up security across Krasnodar after an attack on the Kerch bridge, which links the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula to Russia proper.
The bridge carries heavy significance for Moscow, both logistically and psychologically, as a key artery for military and civilian supplies and as an assertion of Kremlin control of the peninsula it illegally annexed in 2014.
The damage initially appeared to be less severe than what was caused by an assault in October, but it highlighted the bridge’s vulnerability.
Russia blamed Ukraine for both attacks. A spokesman for the Ukrainian Security Service on Monday did not directly acknowledge responsibility but said the service would reveal details about organizing the blast once Ukraine achieves victory in the war.
Russian authorities advised people who wanted to leave Crimea quickly to go via Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine.
That would add up to 350 miles to their journey and likely raise their anxiety about going through insecure areas.
The Ukrainian news portal RBK-Ukraina cited a security services source as saying the strike was carried out by what it called floating drones.
A deputy prime minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, later said on the Telegram messaging service that “today, the Crimea bridge was torn apart by sea drones,” but it was not clear if he was making an official confirmation or referring to earlier reports.
The bridge attack comes as Ukrainian forces are pressing a counteroffensive in several sections of the front line.
It also happened hours before Russia announced, as expected, that it is halting a deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey that allows the export of Ukrainian grain during the war.
A couple traveling to Crimea for a summer vacation was killed and their 14-year-old daughter suffered chest and brain injuries.
Follow our social media accounts here on facebook.com/ExpressUSNews and @expressusnews