Moscow (CNN) A Russian military aircraft crashed in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Syria, killing both pilots on board, state media said Thursday. The plane may have been affected by a bird flying into its engine, news agency RIA-Novosti reported, quoting a statement from the defense ministry,The plane was gaining altitude after taking off from Hmeimim airbase in Syria before it crashed, the ministry said. Eyewitnesses reported seeing a Russian military jet fall in the water off the coast of the town of Jableh, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Hmeimim, which is near Latakia, about 241 kilometers (150 miles) north of Damascus, is Russia's largest airbase in Syria. A Russian Kamov helicopter flies near an S-300 missile system at the Hmeimim military base in Latakia province, Syria.

Source: CNN May 03, 2018 10:52 UTC