Russia's Defence Ministry lost quarter of Il-76 aircraft due to poor-quality spare parts

The use of low-quality wheel bearings has disabled and suspended the operation of five Il-76MD-90A aircraft belonging to Russia's Ministry of Defence.

Source: Kremlin-aligned Russian newspaper Kommersant; Russian media outlet Vazhnye Istorii (Important Stories)

Details: The Main Investigative Department of Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case against the executives of the Balashikha Foundry and Mechanical Plant (BFMP) after the BFMP supplied low-quality bearings for the IL-76.

Kommersant reported that the investigation revealed that BFMP purchased bearings from an unknown supplier using forged documents from 2017 to 2022. Vazhnye Istorii noted, citing open-source data, that Russia's Defence Ministry was operating a total of 18 Il-76MD-90A aircraft by the end of 2023.

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