Russia's $35m MiG-31 fighter-interceptor catches fire in flight and crashes (video)

Since 24 February 2022, several Russian fighter jets and helicopters have crashed without Ukrainian air defence assistance. However, Russian army warplanes have crashed before.

Here's What We Know

This week Russian media circulated a video of the crash of a MiG-31 fighter jet. The clip is old. The incident took place in the Murmansk region before February 24, 2022. Why the video was published only now is unknown.

Apparently, there was another aircraft flying next to the MiG-31, whose pilot recorded the video. The footage depicts the flight of the fighter, whose engine burst into flames. Both pilots managed to eject. The plane fell to the ground, after which a huge fireball went up.

The MiG-31 is a supersonic long-range fighter-interceptor. It entered service in 1981. The aircraft can reach speeds of around 3000 km/h and has a combat radius of 720 km. It has an export value of $35 million.

The fighter exists in several modifications, including the MiG-31K, which has a combat load of up to 9,000 kg and can carry hypersonic (aeroballistic) Kh-47M2 "Kinzhal" missiles. The modernisation of the aircraft was completed in 2018.