Landing gear malfunction reportedly caused the crash in the Lipetsk region
A MiG-31 interceptor fighter jet crashed on Friday in the Lipetsk region of Russia during a training flight. According to the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense, the incident occurred during the landing approach phase when the aircraft’s landing gear deployment system failed.
The unarmed aircraft crashed into a forest area in the Chaplyginsky district. Both crew members managed to eject in time and were found shortly after by rescue teams. The two pilots were hospitalized with injuries of varying severity.
The MiG-31 is a two-seat supersonic fighter developed in the 1970s from the MiG-25. Designed to intercept aerial targets at high altitudes and speeds, the model remains one of the main aircraft in Russia’s air defense fleet. Some variants, such as the MiG-31K, are adapted for launching Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles.
Among its main armaments are the long-range air-to-air missiles R-33 and R-37, capable of hitting targets hundreds of kilometers away.
+ Video: MiG-31 fighters simulate interception of enemy missile during Finval-2023
Source and images: Telegram @mod_russia | militarnyi. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
