---
title: "3 Russian Military Aircraft Have Crashed In The Last Week"
description: "Three Russian military aircraft have crashed since Jan. 18, leaving at least five crew members dead at a time when the Russian Air Force is engaged in increasing aggressive aerial operations worldwide"
date: "2019-01-22"
modified: "2019-01-22"
authors:
  - name: "Jared Keller"
    job_title: "Former Managing Editor"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/jaredkeller/"
url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/russian-military-aircraft-crashes/"
categories:
  - "Aircraft"
  - "Around the World"
  - "News"
  - "Russia"
  - "Tech & Tactics"
tags:
  - "European Command"
  - "indo-pacific command"
---

# 3 Russian Military Aircraft Have Crashed In The Last Week

![](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/19106885-1.jpg>)

Three Russian military aircraft have crashed since Jan. 18, leaving at least five crew members dead at a time when the Russian Air Force is engaged in [increasing aggressive aerial operations worldwide](<https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2018/11/07/russian-intercept-marks-a-return-to-cold-war-behavior-in-europes-skies/>).

- On Friday, two Russian Sukhoi Su-34 fighter-bombers collided during a training mission over the Sea of Japan, the Ministry of Defense [announced](<https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/russian-fighter-jets-collide-over-sea-of-japan-crews-eject/2019/01/18/3e937846-1af6-11e9-b8e6-567190c2fd08_story.html?utm_term=.a1da45e95829>). One of the four crew members aboard was recovered alive.
- On Tuesday, a Tupolev Tu-22M3 crashed while landing a blizzard at a military airfield north of the Arctic Circle, Russian state media [first reported.](<https://tass.ru/proisshestviya/6026357?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=smm_social_share>) Three of the four crew members aboard were reportedly killed in the incident.
- All three aircraft were participating in training exercises and unarmed at the time of their respective accidents, according to media reports.
- It's worth noting that the Su-34 was designed, [per](<https://fightersweep.com/11650/breaking-two-russian-su-34-fighters-collide-over-the-sea-of-japan/>) FighterSweep, to eventually replace the Tu-22M3 among other [aging aircraft ](<https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/russias-air-force-has-weakness-it-cant-easily-fix-35722>) from Russia's Soviet-era fleet.

### SEE ALSO: Russia Sent Warplanes To Venezuela And The Pentagon Isn't Having It

### WATCH NEXT: Russian Stealth Fighter Spotted In Syria

## Author
Jared Keller is the former managing editor of Task & Purpose. His writing has appeared in Aeon, the Los Angeles Review of Books, the New Republic, Pacific Standard, Smithsonian, and The Washington Post, among other publications.

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