Russian-made fighter plane crashes in Egypt

MOSCOW: A Russian-made MiG-29 fighter plane crashed during a training flight in Egypt on Saturday, Russia’s state-controlled United Aircraft Corporation was quoted by RIA news agency as saying.

The plane was supplied by Russia to Egypt as part of a commercial contract in 2018, Russia’s Kommersant newspaper said, adding that the Egyptian pilot managed to eject safely.

“We are in possession of the latest information about the crash of a MiG-29M belonging to the Egyptian army. Our technical experts will travel to Egypt very soon to help in the investigation,” the Russian aircraft corporation said.

The corporation, which unites state-owned military and civilian aircraft construction companies, did not provide possible reasons for the crash. It could not immediately be reached for comment. Russia is due to supply 46 MiG-29 fighter planes to Egypt based on an agreement signed in 2015, Vedomosti newspaper said at the time, citing two sources in the aircraft industry.