ST. PETERSBURG -- Two pilots were killed when a Su-30 fighter jet crashed in the Prionezhsky district of Russia's Republic of Karelia during a training flight, the regional head Artur Parfenchikov said Thursday.

The aircraft crashed at approximately 7 pm Moscow time (1600 GMT) while conducting a scheduled training flight without ammunition, the Russian Defense Ministry was quoted by TASS news agency as saying.

Parfenchikov said on Telegram that the aircraft went down in a forested area away from residential settlements, and no residents were injured.

Emergency services quickly arrived to work at the scene, Parfenchikov said, extending his condolences to the families of the pilots from the 159th aviation fighter regiment, and promising all necessary assistance.