ISTANBUL

A Russian Su-34 fighter jet crashed during a scheduled training flight in the Nizhny Novgorod region, the country’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday.

The incident occurred as the jet was preparing to land when one of the landing gear struts failed to deploy, the ministry said.

“The crew made several attempts to resolve the issue midair, but the malfunction persisted. Following instructions from flight control, the pilots directed the aircraft to a safe area and ejected,” the statement said.

Both crew members survived. The crash took place in an uninhabited zone with no damage on the ground, the ministry added.

The Su-34 is a twin-seat Russian fighter-bomber designed for deep strike missions and complex weather conditions. Despite past incidents, Russia continues to rely heavily on the platform in training and combat roles.