A fighter jet has crashed just 30km outside the Russian capital. The pilot was killed in the accident, which took place away from residential areas.

Original reports suggested the crashed aircraft was a MiG-29, but the Defense Ministry has confirmed a Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet crashed near Muranovo village in the Pushkino district of the Moscow region.

The pilot was killed in the crash, the ministry said. There was no ammunition on board the fighter jet.

The aircraft is said to have crashed away from the residential area and no additional damage or injuries on the ground is reported.

The Russian Knights aerobatic team performed a demonstration today, TASS reports. It was dedicated to the inauguration of a memorial to aviators in Ashukino settlement several kilometers from the location of the crash.

An eye witness reports that he heard “a loud explosion and saw a pillar of black smoke rising above the tree line.”

No causes of the accident have been officially voiced as of now. Investigators have now arrived at the crash site.

(RT)