The cause of the crash is not known, but there have been unconfirmed reports that one of the plane’s engines caught fire while it was in the air, writes the Russian news agency Tass. The news agency refers to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry. The aircraft, of the type MiG-31, is said to have then crashed into a lake, approximately 10 kilometers from the city of Montchegorsk. 13 km north-east of the city is Montshegorsk air base, while 11 km south-west of the city is Olenja air base. The last one is by far the largest and is part of the Northern Fleet. There will be MiG-31 stationed at both bases. The pilots ejected from the plane and are unharmed, the Ministry of Defense says. Two parachutes are said to have been seen in the area, according to witness descriptions. The ministry does not state any reason why the fighter plane crashed. It was a Russian fighter of this type, the MiG-31, that crashed in Murmansk. Photo: AP
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