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Russia’s Tu-134 Shot At During Massive Attack, Preliminary Reports Claim. But Not by Ukraine

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Vlad Litnarovych
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Russia’s Tu-134 Shot At During Massive Attack, Preliminary Reports Claim. But Not by Ukraine
Military aircraft Tupolev Tu-134 (NATO reporting name “Crusty”) on final approach with jet-exhaust black smoke and a glazed-nose. (Source: Getty Images)

Russian air defenses may have opened fire on one of their aircraft during a suspected drone attack near the city of Tver, Ukrainian defense media Defense Express reported on May 25.

Initial reports claimed that a Russian Tu-160 strategic bomber, one of the crown jewels of the country’s long-range aviation fleet, often dubbed the “White Swan” by Russia, may have been shot down by mistake.

Russian Tupolev TU-160 jet bomber flies over the Kremlin during the general rehearsals of the Victory Day Parade in front of the Kremlin at Red Square, on May 7, 2021, in Moscow, Russia. (Source: Getty Images)
Russian Tupolev TU-160 jet bomber flies over the Kremlin during the general rehearsals of the Victory Day Parade in front of the Kremlin at Red Square, on May 7, 2021, in Moscow, Russia. (Source: Getty Images)

However, video footage later emerged that appears to debunk the initial claims. The clip shows Russian anti-aircraft guns firing into the night sky at an aircraft above Tver. However, the plane’s silhouette does not match the profile of a Tu-160, casting doubt on the shootdown theory.

At the time of the incident, Russian social media channels were flooded with footage and reports of drone activity over the region. It appears that amid the chaos, Russian air defense units mistook the aircraft for an enemy drone—or perhaps fired at a drone flying nearby.

According to video evidence, the plane was not hit and managed to escape what seems to have been an episode of “friendly fire.”

Russian Telegram channels—citing Flightradar24 data—reported the takeoff of at least 10 aircraft linked to Russia’s Ministry of Defense from the Moscow area. Open-source intelligence researchers, however, suggest the actual number may be even higher.

Contrary to early claims that the aircraft seen in the video was civilian, open-source analysts, including the OSINT Twitter account Evergreen Intel, identified it as a Tu-134AK (RA-65996) operated by Russia’s Aerospace Forces. The plane reportedly took off from the Migalovo airbase, a key military transport hub just outside Tver.

Earlier, a long-range drone strike reportedly hit the Migalovo airbase near the Russian city of Tver, over 500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

The airbase serves as a key hub for Russia’s military transport aviation. It is home to the 196th and 8th Military Transport Aviation Regiments of the Russian Aerospace Forces and hosts large transport aircraft such as the Il-76MD and An-124.

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