Two French Rafale fighter jets collide, killing two pilots

Two pilots who went missing after Wednesday's collision of two Rafale fighter jets in Lorraine are dead, French President Emmanuel Macron announced late Wednesday evening on platform X.

"We are saddened to learn of the deaths of Captain Sebastien Mabire and Lieutenant Matthis Laurens in a plane crash during a training mission," Macron wrote.

The two French military Rafale planes collided on Wednesday in eastern France.

After the accident, two pilots from one of the aircraft were missing, while the pilot of the other safely ejected before the collision, which occurred near the town of Colombey-les-Belles.

The two Rafale fighters involved in the crash belong to the Saint-Dizier military airbase. The army confirmed that all the pilots were French citizens. Ukrainian pilots are training in France, but at another base—in the town of Cazaux in the southeast. According to AFP, they also train on different aircraft—exclusively on Alpha-Jet training machines.

No information was provided about the causes of the crash. Regional authorities stated that representatives of the army would comment on the matter.