Leaked images show Russian SU-33 fighter jet sinking in Mediterranean

Dramatic leaked footage has emerged showing a Russian Sukhoi Su-33 fighter jet sinking into the Mediterranean after falling off Vladimir Putin 's 'cursed' aircraft carrier. Video, shared to several military-focused Telegram channels this week, shows the fighter jet in the water while still attached to the ship it tried landing on by its arresting gear.

Smoke can also be seen pouring out of the exposed parts of the plane in the clip which appears to have been filmed from just below the deck of the giant Admiral Kuznetsov. A helicopter can be heard overhead, and appears to be moving to pluck the unfortunate pilot from the sea after he ejected.

The sinking is understood to have taken place in December, 2016. At the time, Russia 's defense ministry said that a Su-33 fighter jet crashed into the Mediterranean Sea after returning to the Admiral Kuznetsov from a mission in Syria . At the time, the ministry blamed the sinking on 'the failure of the arrester system's cable'.

It added that the pilot who was in the plane at the time successfully ejected and was unharmed. It was the second loss of a plane from Russia's only aircraft craft carrier in two months. In November that year, a MiG-29 crashed into the sea while attempting to land on the Admiral Kuznetsov. Both wrecks were reportedly rescued by Russian specialists around a year after they sank.

In 2016, the Admiral Kuznetsov was deployed to the eastern Mediterranean as part of Russia's campaign in Syria, launching the first carrier-mounted attacks in Russian naval history. Its time in Syria was shortlived, and was ordered back to Russia in early 2017, and any sensitive information or systems onboard were likely either removed or destroyed.

The carrier is the flagship of Russia's navy, but has been out of action since 2018, and has been sat in a drydock awaiting a refit and an upgrade. It is not expected to make a return to international waters until 2024 at the earliest, but Russian officials have said that its return could be pushed back if issues arise during overhauling and testing.

The seemingly cursed ship has faced a litany of troubles since it was temporarily taken out of commission . The Admiral Kuznetsov has suffered a series of disasters since its launch in 1985 and is notorious for chugging black smoke. Despite this, the Kremlin has used it to try and project military might far from Russia's shores.

In December last year, the 1,000ft vessel suffered substantial damage when it caught fire while moored in the port city of Murmansk, in northwest Russia. In 2019, the carrier suffered significant damage caused by a fire, which claimed the lives of at least one worker and left ten more injured. On top of this, in 2018 a giant crane crashed into the ship, severely damaging it, and leading to the death of one worker and the injuries of four more. Read the full story: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12589145/Russian-SU-33-fighter-jet-seen-sinking-Med-leaked-footage-showing-aftermath-botched-landing-Putins-crumbling-aircraft-carrier-Admiral-Kuznetsov-2016.html?ito=msngallery

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