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Moscow: ‘Plane carrying radioactive material makes urgent return to Moscow’

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A UTair Boeing 737, en route from Moscow to Khanty-Mansiysk in central Russia, was compelled to make an emergency return to Moscow due to a mechanical issue. This incident occurred while the aircraft was reportedly transporting a “radioactive cargo,” as stated by Russian sources linked to the security services.
As per a Newsweekreport, the flight, which departed from Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow just after midnight on Monday, was scheduled to reach its destination around 10 a.m.However, after approximately 40 minutes in the air, it had to circle south of Moscow several times before returning to the airport, as indicated by flight radar data.
According to SHOT, a Russian Telegram channel, the aircraft was carrying 104 passengers and 19 kilograms of an unidentified “radioactive substance.” The channel attributed the aborted flight to “a landing gear malfunction” and assured that the “dangerous cargo onboard was not damaged.”
Another Telegram channel, Baza, believed to be connected to the Russian security services, also reported the flight carrying 19 kilograms of “radioactive cargo” and 104 passengers. However, it claimed the flight was heading towards Moscow when it encountered the problem.
The Ural Transport Prosecutor’s Office, in a statement, mentioned that the flight had “reported a comment on the wing mechanization,” leading to its return. The office confirmed that the landing was completed safely, but noted that there were only 66 passengers onboard at the time.
Passengers were subsequently able to board a different plane, which took them to Khanty-Mansiysk shortly after 8am local time, as confirmed by flight records, the Newsweek report said.
This incident comes amid a significant increase in plane malfunctions in Russia, which have tripled in a year. Western sanctions, imposed in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have led to a shortage of spare parts for various industries, including aviation. In 2023, there were 180 incidents involving commercial planes making emergency landings due to technical issues, compared to 61 in 2022.
A study by the Yale School of Management highlighted the impact of Western economic sanctions on Russia, indicating that up to 40 percent of Russia’s GDP was at risk. The study pointed out that Russians, both domestically and in the military, were having to “cannibalize” old appliances for machine and automobile parts due to the withdrawal of companies and trade restrictions.
The aerospace industry, in particular, has been severely affected, with carriers like Aeroflot and Pobeda resorting to cannibalizing existing aircraft parts to maintain operations, despite warnings that such practices compromise safety, the Newsweek report said.


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