Russian air force mistakenly targets own Tu‑134 aircraft
The Russian air force nearly shot down its own Tu-134 aircraft during a suspected drone attack near the city of Tver in Russia, reports United24 Media.
Russian air defense systems may have mistakenly targeted their own aircraft during the incident. Initially, reports suggested the target was a Tu-160 aircraft; however, analysts later confirmed that it was actually a Tu-134. Videos on social media show anti-aircraft guns firing into the sky, with the silhouette of the aircraft confirming it as a Tu-134.
During the incident, Russian social media was inundated with recordings and reports of drone activity in the area. Amidst the chaos, it seems air defense units either mistook the aircraft for a hostile drone or were attempting to target a nearby drone.
Russians fired at their own aircraft
Video evidence indicates that the aircraft was not hit and successfully avoided what is referred to as "friendly fire."
Contrary to earlier claims that the aircraft in the recordings was civilian, open-source analysts, including the OSINT Evergreen Intel account on Twitter, identified it as a Tu-134AK (RA-65996) operated by the Russian Air Force. The aircraft had taken off from Migalovo base, a major military transport hub near Tver.
Reports also mentioned a massive drone attack previously directed toward the Migalovo base. This facility is located over 310 miles from the Ukrainian border. The 196th and 8th Transport Aviation Regiments of the Russian Air Force are stationed there, with large transport aircraft like the Il-76MD and An-124.
Tu-134 aircraft
This aircraft, dating from the 1960s, has no military application. It lacks features that would provide offensive capabilities. The Tu-134 cannot engage enemy units from the air and is not designed for reconnaissance, unlike aircraft such as the A-50 with its special radar.
The Tu-134 is equipped with two Soloviev D-30-II turbojet engines, allowing it to reach a maximum speed of 560 mph. Its range is 1,240 miles. The aircraft has a wingspan of 95 feet, a length of 121 feet, and a height of 30 feet, with a weight exceeding 64,000 pounds.
