2 Russian fighter jets collide over Sea of Japan

Moscow, Jan 18 (IANS) Two Russian Sukhoi Su-34 bombers accidentally collided over the Sea of Japan while performing training flights on Friday, the country's Defence Ministry said.

According to the Russian ministry's statement, the planes performed the flights without ammunition and the crews managed to eject safely.

"On January 18, at 8.07 a.m. (Moscow time), while performing a planned training flight over the Sea of Japan, 35 kilometre from the coast, two Su-34 planes of the Far Eastern Air Defence Forces made contact in the air while manoeuvring," according to the statement cited as by TASS news agency.

An An-12 and two Mi-8 helicopters from the search and rescue forces were searching for the pilots in the area where they ejected, it added.

The Su-34 is Russia's all-weather supersonic medium-range fighter-bomber. It first flew in 1990 and has been in service with the Russian Air Force since 2014.