Russian leader Vladimir Putin has lost one of his state-of-the-art supersonic fighter jets without a single shot being fired.
The MiG-31 'Foxhound' long-range fighter dramatically burst into flames over the the village of Rizh-Guba in the Murmansk region while it was on a training mission almost 2,000 miles from Ukraine.
Both pilots reportedly ejected from the stricken plane before it crashed into a lake, but there are conflicting reports about their conditions.
READ MORE: Hackers send sex toys to Putin's 'Fancy Bear' cyber warfare boss in humiliating prank
A statement from Russia’s Ministry of Defence said: "The pilots were promptly evacuated by a helicopter of the search-and-rescue service, their lives and health are not in danger."
However, a later report from Russia’s official state news agency Tass said the two airmen had been hospitalised and their conditions were listed as “serious”.
The MiG-31 is one of the fastest combat jets in the world, capable of operating at around three times the speed of sound. It can also be armed with the Kinzhal hypersonic missile and has been repeatedly deployed in that configuration over Ukraine in recent months.
Ukrainian pilots had experienced unsustainable losses when going up against the MiG-31 in the air and Ukraine’s strategy has been geared towards destroying the deadly fighters on the ground using sabotage and drone strikes.
NATO 'came close to war' with Russia after RAF confrontation with Putin fighters
The Foxhound is expected to remain the mainstay of the Russian air force well into the 2040s, performing a wide range of combat roles. It’s reliability is generally considered to be good, with hundreds of airframes in service.
There have been three known non-combat losses in the past few years apart from the Murmansk crash – one MiG-31 crashed during a training flight in the Primorsky Region in December last year, and two others were lost in separate incidents in April 2020.
Each aircraft is estimated to cost the Russian government some $33.2million (around £27million).
To stay up to date with all the latest news, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
READ NEXT:
- Wagner mercenary ‘doesn’t regret’ brutal hand grenade execution of Ukrainian POWs
- Russian hackers targeting UK with aim to 'disrupt or destroy' critical infrastructure
- Wagner Group boss tells Putin to declare end of 'special military operation'
- Special forces from UK and US 'operating against Putin's troops in Ukraine'
- Wounded Ukrainian soldiers ‘beheaded’ by Russian troops in sickening video
- Abducted Ukrainian kids 'treated like animals and lived with cockroaches and rats'
- Putin was waiting for Donald Trump's 'wink' before sending troops to invade Ukraine
Source: Read Full Article