Russian officials announced that a MiG-31 fighter jet crashed in Murmansk province, with both pilots safely ejecting without any life-threatening injuries. “A MiG-31 fighter jet crashed during a training flight in Murmansk province as part of a scheduled exercise. The fighter jet crashed in a remote area,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said on April 26. The cause of the MiG-31 crash has not yet been announced by Russian officials.
A local source reported that “one of the two engines of the MiG-31 caught fire while in flight, causing the fighter jet to crash into the lake.” The accident occurred about 10 kilometers from the city of Monchegorsk in Murmansk province. According to the Defense Ministry, the two pilots on the MiG-31 ejected safely and were evacuated by rescue helicopters without any life-threatening injuries or health issues. Murmansk Governor Andrey Chibis announced that the MiG-31 crash did not cause any damage to ground infrastructure.
The MiG-31 is designed to intercept and destroy many aerial targets from long distances. The fighter jet is capable of reaching a maximum speed of 3,000 km/h and has a maximum range of up to 5,400 km. The Soviet Union developed the MiG-31 fighter jet in the 1970s and it was commissioned in May 1981, with over 500 aircraft produced.
The MiG-31 is the first fighter jet in the world to be equipped with a passive electronically scanned array (PESA) radar that can simultaneously track 24 targets and attack six targets at the same time.
The MiG-31K variant has been modified to carry the Kinzhal, a hypersonic missile that can carry conventional or nuclear warheads with a yield of 5-50 kilotons, with an explosive power equivalent to 5,000 – 50,000 tons of TNT.
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