A Russian Air Force Mikoyan MiG-31 of the 98th Composite Aviation Regiment crashed under unknown circumstances during a routine training flight after an in-flight fire in the Murmansk Region.
“On April 26, a MiG-31 fighter jet crashed while carrying out a routine training flight in the Murmansk Region. The aircraft went down in a deserted area,” the statement reads.
“Both pilots ejected themselves. They were promptly evacuated by a search and rescue helicopter. Their lives and health are not at risk,” the Defense Ministry pointed out.
The crash occurred 10 kilometers from Monchegorsk with the jet crashing into Lake Imandra. According to eyewitnesses, the aircraft pierced through the ice of the frozen lake, leaving only a few pieces of debris on the surface.
Video footage from the ground confirmed that the aircraft was on fire before crashing.
It is the fourth accidental crash of a MiG-31 to take place since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The MiG-31 is a two-seat supersonic all-weather long-range fighter-interceptor. The first Soviet combat aircraft of the fourth generation, armed with a six-barrel 23-millimeter cannon.
Some MiG-31s can carry air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, hypersonic aero-ballistic missiles, and aerial bombs.
