MOSCOW: An SU-25 fighter jet crashed while returning to its base airfield in the Belgorod region "after completing a combat mission," the Russian Defence Ministry said.

The plane crashed in a deserted area, killing the pilot and causing no damage on the ground, the Ministry said on Thursday, adding that a technical malfunction had led to the incident, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier on Thursday, Vyacheslav Gladkov, Governor of the Belgorod region, said on Telegram that a Defence Ministry aircraft had crashed in the Valuysky district of the Belgorod region and an investigation team was working at the site.

It was previously reported that the pilot ejected from the aircraft and survived.

The Belgorod region is located in southwest Russia near Ukraine.

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