MOSCOW

A Russian Defense Ministry aircraft crashed in the country's western Belgorod region, local authorities announced on Thursday.

"An aircraft of the Defense Ministry crashed in the Valuysky district. Now an investigative team and employees of the Emergency Ministry are working on the spot," Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram.

Gladkov underlined that the situation was "under control," with efforts ongoing to uncover the cause of the incident.

Citing law enforcement, Russian state-run TASS news agency reported that the pilot ejected before impact and that his condition was being assessed.