Fourth Russian Military Jet Lost This Year as MiG-31 Crashes, Crew Survives

A Russian MiG-31 interceptor jet crashed in the Lipetsk region on Thursday while approaching for landing, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. The plane had completed a scheduled training flight and was flying without ammunition.

The crew ejected safely before the aircraft hit the ground, and no one was injured. The jet fell in an uninhabited area.

The MiG-31 is a two-seat, long-range supersonic interceptor designed to destroy enemy aircraft, including bombers and cruise missiles. It can reach speeds of up to 3,000 km/h and climb to heights of 21,000 meters.

The crash in Lipetsk marks the fourth non-combat loss for the Russian Air Force this year.

In July, a Su-34 fighter-bomber went down in the Nizhny Novgorod region during a training flight due to a landing gear failure. The crew attempted to fix the problem but ultimately ejected safely.

The twin-seat Su-34 is an upgraded version of the Soviet-era Su-27 (NATO: Flanker) air superiority fighter. 

Earlier in April, a Tu-22M3 bomber crashed in the Irkutsk region during a routine flight. One pilot died, while four crew members survived after ejecting. Local authorities said the crash was caused by a technical malfunction.

On March 24, a Russian Su-25 (NATO: Frogfoot) ground attack aircraft crashed in the far eastern region of Primorsky Krai during an unarmed “scheduled training flight” as a result of the failure of both its engines, according to the Russian milblogger Fighterbomber. The pilot safely ejected over an uninhabited area. 

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