Eleven people are believed to have been killed when a Russian long-range anti-submarine aircraft, a Tu-142, crashed in the Tatar Strait in Russia’s Far East.
It is thought that a technical problem caused the long-range Tu-142 to crash about 20 kilometres off the Pacific coast.
The aircraft was on a routine training mission when it disappeared from radar screens.
The emergency services say, despite the bad weather, they have located the wreckage site and are now searching for surviving crew members.
The Russian Navy will deploy, if necessary, their newest robotic deep-water rescue vehicles to recover the plane's on-board recording devices.
The Tu-142 is a search and rescue plane which is widely used by the Soviet navy.
Meanwhile, the Russian Pacific Fleet has suspended all flights by its naval aircraft.