THIS is the humiliating moment a Russian pilot was found lying on the ground in a car park just moments after he ejected from a fighter jet that crashed into a block of flats.
At least thirteen people have been killed including three children after a Su-34 supersonic plane smashed into an apartment block in the Russian city of Yeysk.
Nineteen people have been reported injured as the strike sparked a massive fireball in the Krasnodar Krai region.
The plane is believed to have been on a bombing mission to Ukraine when it crashed, causing its ammunition to explode in the courtyard of a nine-storey residential block which was severely damaged.
Dramatic footage shows the pilot, who managed to eject from the jet, lying on the ground in a car park near the burning building.
The Russian appears unable to get up off the ground as passersby stop to ask him if he's alright.
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When asked whether the plane was hit by a Ukrainian missile, he replied "no."
The clip shows residents trying to help the stricken pilot but struggling to disentangle him from his parachute.
They ask him: “Are you ok mate?” to which he replies: “Yes, yes .”
He is then asked, “Was it shot down, yes?” to which he responds "no."
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He could now face legal action and punishment for failing to steer the Su-34 away from a residential area.
The Russian defence ministry said: "According to a report from the pilots, who jettisoned from the plane, the reason for the crash was a fire in one of the engines during take off."
Major-General Vladimir Popov, a retired military pilot, told Fontanka pilots were under strict orders to ensure the safety of those on the ground until the last moment.
He said ejection is possible only when "there is not even the slightest threat of harm to ground infrastructure.”
Explosions following the crash suggest the plane was carrying ammunition – which would not be the case on a training flight-said military expert Ruslan Leviev, suggesting the jet was on a war mission and intended to strike at Ukrainian territory.
The crash site is just 45 miles southeast of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, close to the Sea of Azov.
Russian media reported the co-pilot also survived but he was not shown.
Some 68 people were rescued from the burning block of flats and 360 were evacuated.
Russian military aircraft have been involved in several deadly accidents since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Earlier this month, a Su-25 plane crashed near Rogalik farm in the Rostov region as well as a Su-24.
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Last month, reports claimed a Su-34 military aircraft had crashed in Crimea.
In June, four were killed when a Russian plane crashed en route to Ukraine.
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