MOSCOW (AP) – A Russian warplane crashed in Russia’s Kaliningrad region on Saturday during a training mission, killing the two pilots on board.

“The Su-30 aircraft crashed in a deserted area. The flight was carried out without ammunition. The crew died,” local military authorities said.

According to officials, a technical malfunction was the likely cause.

Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea, positioned between NATO member states Poland and Lithuania.

The Su-30 fighter jet has been used extensively during Russia’s action in Ukraine.

The Russian air force has suffered a string of crashes that some observers have attributed to a higher number of flights amid the fighting in Ukraine.

Last month, two Russian fighter jets crashed while on training missions – one into the Pacific and one into the Sea of Azov.