On July 1st, local time, the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that a Su-34 fighter jet encountered a malfunction with its landing gear release system during training flight missions in Novgorod Oblast. The crew attempted to fix the issue during the flight but was unsuccessful. Following instructions from the flight commander, the crew managed to eject safely after flying the aircraft to a safe area.
Previous reports indicated that the aircraft involved was a Su-27. However, the Russian Ministry of Defense clarified in their announcement that the aircraft in question was actually a Su-34. The plane did not carry combat weapons and did not cause any damage to ground facilities upon crashing. (Reported by Cheng Mo, Wang Delu)