A Russian military plane crashed off the coast of Syria, in the Mediterranean Sea, killing both pilots onboard.

According to news agency RIA-Novosti, quoting a statement from defense ministry, the aircraft may have been affected by a bird that flew into its engine.

The SU-30SM war plane was gaining altitude after taking off out of Hmeimim airbase in Syria prior to the crash, the ministry confirmed.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing the Russian military jet fall in the sea off the coast of Jableh, according to UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Hmeimim, near Latakia, about 241 km (150 mi) north of Damascus, is the largest Russian airbase in Syria.