"On 18 January, at 8:07 (Moscow time), while performing a planned training flight over the Sea of Japan, 35 kilometers from the coast, two Su-34 planes of the Far Eastern Air Defence Forces made contact in the air while manoeuvring," reported the Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Defence of Russia.
"The aircraft crews have ejected. An An-12 and two Mi-8 helicopters from the search and rescue forces are searching for the pilots in the area where they ejected. The planes performed the flight without ammunition," the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement.
One of the pilots of the Su-34 bomber that crashed in the sea in Russia's Far East has been found by the rescue crew, the Russian Defence Ministry added.
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The 45 ton, Mach 1.8-capable Russian Su-34, designed to carry up to 8 tons of weaponry, has a tactical radius of 4,000 km, and a flight ceiling of 18,000 meters.
The plane can also be equipped with up to three additional fuel tanks, allowing it to fly 8 hours without refueling.
