A Russian Air Force MiG-31 interceptor aircraft crashed in the Nizhny Novgorod region in central Russia during a training mission on Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced.

“On September 19, at about 03.30 p.m. Moscow time [12:30 GMT], a MiG-31 fighter jet of the Aviation Staff Training Center crashed during a planned training flight at one of the military airfields in the Nizhny Novgorod region; both pilots successfully ejected,” the ministry said in a statement.

Both pilots had safely ejected from the aircraft and were promptly evacuated by search-and rescue personnel. They are reportedly in stable condition.

According to some reports, the plane took off from the Savasleika air base and crashed around 17 km from the air base.

The Ministry statement added that the preliminary data indicate that a technical flaw had caused the MiG-31 fighter jet’s crash.

“The flight was carried out without ammunition; the plane fell in a deserted place; there is no destruction on the ground. According to preliminary data, the cause of the accident was a technical malfunction,” the Defense Ministry said.

The circumstances of the disaster are being investigated by the Defense Ministry.

The Mikoyan MiG-31 “Foxhound” is a supersonic interceptor aircraft developed for use by the Soviet Air Forces.

The aircraft was designed by the Mikoyan design bureau as a replacement for the earlier MiG-25 “Foxbat”; the MiG-31 is based on, and shares design elements with the MiG-25.

The MiG-31 has the distinction of being one of the fastest combat jets in the world. It continues to be operated by the Russian Air Force and the Kazakhstan Air Force following the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The Russian Defence Ministry expects the MiG-31 to remain in service until at least 2030.





