On approach for landing! Russian MiG-31 crashes in Lipetsk region

A Russian MiG-31 fighter-interceptor crashed on approach for landing in the Lipetsk region, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. The plane was performing a planned training flight and was not armed, Kyiv Post reports, quoted by BTA.

The pilots managed to successfully eject before hitting the ground, and the plane fell into an uninhabited area. There were no reports of casualties.

The MiG-31 is a two-seat, long-range, supersonic fighter-interceptor designed to destroy enemy targets in the air, including bombers and cruise missiles.

This is the fourth non-combat loss of a Russian military aircraft since the beginning of the year.

In July, a Su-34 fighter-bomber crashed in the Nizhny Novgorod region during a training flight due to damage to the landing gear. Despite attempts to control the situation, the pilots successfully ejected.

The Su-34 is a two-seat attack aircraft and a modernized version of the Soviet Su-27 (NATO reporting name: Flanker). In April, a Tu-22M3 bomber crashed in the Irkutsk region during a routine flight. One of the pilots died, and four crew members survived after ejecting. According to local authorities, the cause of the accident was a technical malfunction.

On March 24, a Su-25 (NATO reporting name: Frogfoot) attack aircraft crashed in Primorsky Krai during an unarmed training flight. The pilot successfully ejected over an uninhabited area.