Russian air force fighter jet disappears while on training mission, search under way

Russian military jet disappears on training flight

MOSCOW — A military spokesman says that a Russian fighter jet has disappeared while on a training mission in the country’s far east.

Col. Alexei Kuznetsov says the Su-27 fighter jet has taken off from an air base near the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

He said on Rossiya-24 television that the jet went off the radar screens Thursday while it was 30 kilometers (20 miles) away from the base.

Kuznetsov said rescue helicopters were searching for the plane and its pilot, but added that darkness complicated the effort. Most Russian helicopters lack equipment for flying at night.