Kathrine Frich
The downing of a MiG-31K marks a significant loss for Russia’s strategic aviation.
The downing of a MiG-31K marks a significant loss for Russia’s strategic aviation.
These aircraft are few in number and central to Putin’s long-range strike messaging.
Russian MiG-31K crashes during training
A Russian MiG-31K fighter jet crashed near the city of Lipetsk, around 300 km from the Ukrainian border.
The aircraft was on a training mission when the incident occurred, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Thankfully, both pilots managed to eject safely and were not injured.
Hypersonic missile carrier goes down
The MiG-31K is not just any jet, it is one of the few Russian aircraft capable of carrying the Kinzhal hypersonic missile.
The crash took place during a landing approach. Preliminary reports suggest that a malfunction in the landing gear extension system caused the jet to go down in an uninhabited area.
Pilots eject safely, military confirms
Russian officials confirmed that the pilots aboard the downed aircraft successfully ejected and avoided injury.
The crash did not occur in a populated area and, according to early reports, no civilians were harmed.
It was part of a routine training exercise, not an active mission over Ukraine.
What is the MiG-31K?
The MiG-31K is a heavily modified version of the MiG-31 interceptor, originally developed in the Soviet Union.
The “K” variant is adapted to carry the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, a hypersonic air-to-surface missile capable of reaching speeds up to Mach 10.
These jets are a key part of Russia’s long-range strike capabilities.
These jets aren’t cheap
The estimated price of a MiG-31K is over $50 million USD, depending on upgrades and equipment.
While Russia originally produced hundreds of MiG-31s during the Cold War, the K variant is far more limited.
Analysts believe Russia has converted between 20 and 30 units to carry Kinzhals, making each loss a serious blow to military capability.
A key tool in Russia’s war strategy
Russia has used MiG-31Ks to launch Kinzhal missiles against Ukrainian targets, including energy infrastructure and military installations.
The Kinzhal missile has a reported range of up to 2,000 km and can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads.
Its high speed makes it difficult to intercept with standard air defenses.
Not the first MiG to go down during the war
This is not the first time Russia has lost a MiG-31 during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In recent years, Ukraine has reported multiple shootdowns of similar jets, though not all claims have been confirmed.
This latest crash adds to the growing list of losses due to technical issues, not enemy fire.
This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, which may have used AI in the preparation
