MiG-29 fighter crashes in Astrakhan region, killing pilot

POGONOVO RANGE. KAZINFORM A MiG-29 fighter of the Russian Air Force crashed near Astrakhan on Sunday. The fighter's pilot was killed in the crash, Air Force Commander-in-Chief Lieutenant General Viktor Bondarev told reporters.

"A pilot has been killed in a fighter crash," the commander said. "We are investigating this incident and, according to preliminary data, the crash was caused by air equipment failure," General Bondarev added.

Earlier on Sunday law enforcement source told Itar-Tass that according to preliminary information, a MiG-29 fighter of the Russian Defence Ministry fell 30 kilometres south of the Privolzhsky airport in the Astrakhan region, ITAR-TASS reports.

"The jet fell at a considerable distance from homes, so the local residents were not hurt," law enforcers said.