News Feed

A quarter of Moscow's Il-76 planes failed due to low-quality parts, Russian media reports

2 min read
A quarter of Moscow's Il-76 planes failed due to low-quality parts, Russian media reports
A Russian Il-76 military transport aircraft on the tarmac during the 2023 Dubai Airshow on Nov. 13, 2023. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Giuseppe Cacace / AFP via Getty Images)

Russia has lost five of its 18 Il-76 MD-90A aircraft due to poor-quality wheel bearings, the state-run media outlet Kommersant and the independent publication Important Stories reported on July 19.

Il-76 planes are military aircraft designed for the transportation of troops and cargo.

Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal investigation against the Balashikhinsky Foundry and Mechanical Plant (BLMZ), the company that supplied the failed parts.

Investigators allege that BLMZ purchased the bearings from an unknown manufacturer using forged documents and transferred them to the Russian firm Aviastar for the production of Il-76 planes.

Sign up for our newsletter
WTF is wrong with Russia?

The poorly made bearings caused problems with the landing gear, disabling five aircraft. The Russian Defense Ministry had 18 Il-76 planes at the end of 2023, according to open source data obtained by Important Stories.

The Investigative Committee said BLMZ caused "substantial harm" to the Russian Defense Ministry and the state's security interests.

Sanctions against Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine have prohibited the export of aviation-related technology and spare parts, radically transforming the country's aviation industry and increasing the incidences of accidents and emergency landings.

An Il-76 plane crashed in central Russia on March 12, reportedly killing all 15 on board.

Ukraine downs Russian Su-25 warplane in Donetsk Oblast
Ukrainian forces shot down a Russian Su-25 attack aircraft in the Pokrovsk sector of Donetsk Oblast, the Khortytsia group of forces said on July 19.
Article image

News Feed
Video

Ukraine is striking oil refineries deep inside Russia — but it’s not really the oil they’re after. The Kyiv Independent’s Dominic Culverwell explains how Ukraine’s drone campaign targets the high-tech equipment Russia cannot easily replace under sanctions.

 (Updated:  )

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski’s visit came days after the largest Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace during a mass strike on Ukraine, in what Polish officials describe as a "deliberately targeted" strike and provocation.

When asked about the Ukraine-Russia talks, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov replied that communication channels have been established and exist, but as of now, "it’s more accurate to say there is a pause" in dialogue.

Show More