Russian fighter jet crashes near Moscow during training

A Russian military jet crashed in the Moscow region on Thursday, July 23, 2026, during a training flight, with the pilot ejecting safely and no reported casualties or destruction on the ground. While the Russian Defense Ministry did not identify the aircraft type, multiple reports from Russian media and anonymous sources indicate the plane was an advanced Su-57 stealth fighter.

The crash occurred around 1:50 p.m. local time in the Odintsovo district, west of Moscow near the town of Zvenigorod. Emergency services responded to the scene where the aircraft came down in a field. The Defense Ministry, in a statement carried by the state news agency TASS, described the incident only as involving a "combat-trainer" aircraft that crashed during takeoff, confirming the pilot's successful ejection.

Despite the official silence on the model, several Russian Telegram channels and an anonymous source speaking to the newspaper Kommersant identified the aircraft as a Sukhoi Su-57. Kommersant further reported that investigators have launched a criminal probe into potential violations of flight safety rules. The cause of the crash remains officially unconfirmed.