(MENAFN) A Russian Su-30 fighter aircraft plunged to the ground during a training exercise in the country's northwestern frontier Thursday evening, claiming the lives of both crew members aboard, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

The fatal incident unfolded in the Karelia Region, a territory sharing a border with Finland. Military officials confirmed the warplane was conducting maneuvers without any armaments or ordnance at the time of the crash.

Karelia Governor Artur Parfenchikov identified the deceased aviators as members of the 159th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, stationed at Besovets airbase.

"I offer my sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives," Parfenchikov wrote on Telegram.

The tragedy marks the second Russian military aviation accident in recent weeks. A month earlier, a MiG-31 fighter aircraft went down during landing procedures in Lipetsk Region, located southeast of Moscow. In that incident, both pilots successfully ejected and survived.

Authorities have not disclosed whether an investigation into the Su-30 crash has been launched or what may have caused the aircraft to go down in the remote northwestern territory.

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