In a dramatic incident, a Russian fighter jet crashed into the Black Sea near the Crimean port of Sevastopol on Thursday. The chilling footage captured on the social media platform Telegram shows the Su-35 engulfed in flames as it spirals downwards, before plummeting into the water and exploding into a fireball. The crash site was engulfed in smoke after the inferno subsided.

According to Mikhail Razvozhayev, the governor of the region, the pilot of the aircraft safely ejected before the crash and was swiftly rescued by nearby responders at a distance of 200 meters from the shore. No civilian objects were reportedly harmed in the accident.

The cause of the incident remains uncertain, with speculation swirling. Prominent pro-Russian military blogger, Rybar, suggested in a Telegram post that the crash, which occurred at a significant distance from the front line, could either be the result of a technical malfunction or "friendly fire." Meanwhile, former adviser to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs, Anton Gerashchenko, speculated that the jet may have been shot down by Russian air defenses, although no official confirmation has been made.

It is noteworthy that Russia and Ukraine have been embroiled in ongoing tensions over Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine eight years ago. Kiev has made reclaiming the peninsula a major objective in its military campaign, forcing Russia's Black Sea Fleet to retreat from Sevastopol through drone and missile attacks.

This is not the first incident involving a Russian fighter jet crashing into the sea. In July, a Su-25 jet crashed into the Sea of Azov in Krasnodar Krai during a training flight. While the pilot managed to eject from the aircraft, he tragically landed in the sea and succumbed to his injuries despite emergency services' efforts.

The authorities in Russia's Southern Military District have indicated that the earlier incident may have been caused by an engine malfunction. It remains to be seen what the investigation into the recent crash off Sevastopol's coast will reveal.

As this incident unfolds, the focus now turns to uncovering the true cause of the crash and ensuring the safety of pilots and aircraft in the region.