World · 2026-10-21 · Afternoon briefing

Russian Su-30 fighter crashes in Kaliningrad exclave

A Russian Su-30 fighter jet has crashed during a training flight in Kaliningrad, Moscow's heavily militarised exclave on the Baltic Sea. The aircraft went down near the town of Chernyakhovsk, 90 kilometres east of the regional capital. Russia's defence ministry said the crew ejected and was evacuated, but did not disclose their condition; a pro-Kremlin media channel reported both pilots were injured and hospitalised.

Moscow stated the jet was unarmed. The incident occurs amid escalating tensions between Russia and NATO over the exclave, which is bordered by alliance members Poland and Lithuania. In a sign of the heightened alert, Lithuania's interior minister, Martynas Katelynas, has called for troops to be deployed to the country's border with the Russian territory.

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