Russian fighter crashes, killing pilot

A Su-25 attack plane of the Russian Air Force crashed near Russia's western region of Bryansk on Wednesday, killing the pilot, Air Force spokesman said.

"The plane crash occurred at 10:18 a.m. Moscow time. (0618 GMT). The attack plane, which was on a planned flight, fell into a forested area," Alexander Drobyshevsky was quoted by Russian news agencies.

The cause of the accident was being investigated.

Su-25 went into service with the Russian Air Force in 1980. Its maximum speed is 975 km/h; operational radius of action is 750 km; operation ceiling is up to 10,000 meters, and weapons load is more than four tons on four suspensions. It is operated by one pilot.

Source: Xinhua