YEREVAN, DECEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS. A criminal case has been launched into the SU-25 military jet crash, General Prosecution spokesperson Arevik Khachatryan told reporters.

She said the criminal case has been opened on Paragraph 2, Article 378 (Violating rules of flights or rules of preparations for flights) of the Criminal Code.

Earlier in the morning the defense ministry said ground control has lost contact with a SU-25 aircraft conducting a routine training flight. The plane disappeared from radar screens about 14 minutes into the flight.

Search and rescue operations were launched immediately.

Later, the wreckage of the plane was found in the mountains of Maralik region of Shirak province.

Both pilots have been killed in the crash.

The military investigative department has launched a probe to determine the cause of the crash.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan