Su-30SM Fighter Jet Crashes in Kazakhstan

A Su-30SM fighter jet of Kazakhstan’s Air Force crashed during a training flight, the country’s Defense Ministry said.

The crew ejected in time and survived.

A special commission set up by the Defense Ministry has launched an investigation to determine the exact causes and circumstances of the crash.

The previous accident involving a Kazakh fighter jet occurred in 2021. In that case, the pilots also ejected safely.

In August 2024, the Kazakh Air Force received a new batch of six Su-30SM fighter jets.

The aircraft were assigned red tail numbers from “51” to “56” and joined the 602nd Air Base in Shymkent, where they are replacing Soviet-era MiG-29 jets retired a year earlier.