MOSCOW (Reuters) -- Russia's air force commander has grounded all of the country's MiG-29 fighter jets after one of the aircraft crashed in eastern Siberia, the Defense Ministry said.
The pilot died when the jet crashed near the Domna airfield in the Chita region at 6:12 a.m. Moscow time (0312 GMT), the Defense Ministry said on its mil.ru website.
"Air Forces Commander Colonel General Alexander Zelin ordered the suspension of MiG-29 flights until all the circumstances of the accident have been clarified," the statement said.
A MiG-29 fighter crashed near the same airfield in October. The pilot ejected before the crash and survived.
The MiG-29, which is codenamed Fulcrum by NATO, is one of Russia's most advanced military jets. The fourth generation fighter was designed in the Soviet Union for an air superiority role.