Plane plunges into sea off Russian town of Yeysk

An attack plane has fallen into the sea near the Russian town of Yeysk, local authorities say.

A Russian Su-25 military aircraft smashed into the sea of Azov on Monday, local officials said. The pilot ejected to safety and was rescued by a search and rescue team, but fell into his injuries shortly after.

Footage of the plane crashing into the sea immediately off the coast, with locals watching the incident from the beach. The pilot ejecting moments before the aircraft plunged into the water, evidently having suffered engine failure, the plane appeared to steadily lose altitude, evidently having suffered engine failure.

A footage from the scene shows a search and rescue helicopter circling the crash site. The pilot was brought ashore by rescuers. Roman Bublik, head of Yeysk District Hospital, died from his injuries, the head of the district's head, Roman Bublik, said.

The accident was acknowledged by the Russian military, with the Southern Military District revealing it happened during a training flight. Preliminary assessment revealed the crash was caused by engine cutoff.

Su-25 close air support planes have seen extensive action in the Ukraine conflict, both sides have said. In February, a Russian Su-25 crashed due to a technical malfunction in the region of southwestern Belgorod. The plane went down in an unpopulated area, resulting in no casualties or damage to the ground. The pilot, however, was killed.