Nato Member Romania loses fighter plane, rescue chopper sent for it ...

[inanna]

13. Update from Guardian

02:07

Seven military personnel died after their helicopter crashed in eastern Romania near the Black Sea while searching for a missing fighter jet and its pilot, according to Ukraine’s ministry of defence.

The IAR 330-Puma helicopter crashed in the area of Gura Dobrogei, 11km (7 miles) from the airfield on Wednesday, killing all seven people aboard, Agence France-Presse reports.

It was searching for a MiG 21 LanceR, shortly after the fighter jet lost radio contact with the control tower during an air patrol mission and disappeared from the radar.

“Search and rescue operations for the pilot of the MiG 21 LanceR aircraft are still ongoing,” a statement from the defence ministry said.

(snip)

“It is premature to discuss possible causes. Certainly, there were unfavourable weather conditions, but we can’t comment now,” spokesman General Constantin Spanu said on local television.

...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/mar/02/ukraine-news-russia-war-kyiv-kharkiv-russian-invasion-vladimir-putin-joe-biden-latest-live-updates