Russian fighter crashes into apartments in city near Ukraine, 3 dead - Reuters

YEYSK, Russia, Oct 17 (Reuters) - A Russian combatant level crashed into a residential gathering successful the confederate Russian metropolis of Yeysk connected Monday, engulfing apartments successful a immense fireball, and officials said astatine slightest 3 radical were killed.

Yeysk is separated from occupied Russian territory successful confederate Ukraine by a constrictive agelong of the Sea of Azov.

The incidental comes astir 8 months aft Russia sent its troops into Ukraine.

Video published by the subject quality transmission Zvezda appeared to amusement explosions aboard the Sukhoi Su-34 supersonic medium-range fighter-bomber level arsenic it plunged towards the apartments. Russian agencies said the pilots had ejected.

Anna Minkova, lawman politician of the section Krasnodar region, wrote connected Telegram that 3 radical had died and different 10 had been taken to infirmary suffering from fume inhalation.

Separately, Russia's RIA quality bureau quoted exigency officials arsenic saying astatine slightest 21 radical were injured.

Footage from the tract showed ample parts of the gathering connected occurrence aft the crash. Local authorities aboriginal said the blaze had been enactment out.

State-owned RIA said the clang took spot during a grooming formation from a subject airfield. It quoted the defence ministry arsenic saying the pilots had reported that an motor had caught occurrence connected takeoff, and the plane's substance had past ignited erstwhile it struck the building.

Russia's authorities Investigative Committee, which deals with superior crimes, said it had opened a transgression lawsuit and sent investigators to the scene.

The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin had been informed, and had ordered each indispensable assistance to beryllium provided to victims. He ordered the wellness and emergencies ministers to alert to the region, it said.

Regional politician Veniamin Kondratyev said the occurrence had breached retired successful a nine-storey building.

"The occurrence engulfed respective floors astatine once. Seventeen apartments were preliminarily damaged," helium said connected Telegram.

Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge, Sandra Maler and David Ljunggren

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