According to Russian media reports on the 8th, the radio equipment of a Russian Air Force Il-80 special command aircraft known as the “Doomsday Aircraft” was stolen. On the 9th, Russian officials also confirmed the news.
The Ilyushin Il-80 can act as an air command post in the event of nuclear war to ensure effective command of troops, so it is known as the “Doomsday Aircraft”. Russia currently has four Ilyushin-80s in service.
According to a report on the website of “Russia Today” on the 8th, the theft occurred at an airport in the southwest Russian city of Taganrog, where the stolen Ilyush-80 was previously repaired. On the 4th local time, the person in charge reported the case to the police, reporting that 39 radio equipment on the Ilyushin-80 had been stolen.
On the 9th, Taganrog police confirmed the news, saying that the thieves were being arrested and the stolen equipment was worth about 1 million rubles, or $13k.
Russian International Telegraph quoted police sources as saying that investigators found that the cargo hatch of the Ilyushion-80 was damaged when inspecting the fuselage.
The report also said that the plane had been undergoing maintenance since the beginning of last year, and as of last month 26, all the equipment on board was intact.
Some Russian military experts speculate that the radio equipment on the plane was stolen because some of the parts were made of precious metals.
Russian Presidential Press Secretary Peskov expressed concern about this emergency on the 9th, saying that measures should be taken to effectively prevent similar incidents in the future.
