In Russia, the supply of poor-quality bearings led to the failure of five IL-76 transport aircraft.

The supply of low-quality parts was confirmed by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.

An investigation is being conducted against unidentified persons from among the management of the Balashikha Casting and Mechanical Plant (JSC “BLMZ”) , located in the industrial zone on the Enthusiasts highway in Moscow.

According to investigators, representatives of the enterprise, in order not to disrupt the defense order, bought bearings of unknown origin from 2017 to 2022 and supplied them as part of the wheels of the aircraft to the branch of the enterprise “IL” – “Aviastar.”

The products were accompanied by forged documents,stating that the parts were purchased from the “Saratov bearing plant” and were accepted by the military mission of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

As a result, the use of poor-quality components in the wheels led to the failure and cessation of operation of five IL-76MD-90A aircraft.

“Significant damage was caused to the interests of the state represented by the Russian Ministry of Defense, as well as damage to the defense capability and security of the state,” the report reads.

The investigation has already seized documents from the JSC “BLMZ” and interrogated its leaders.

At the same time, in mid-June, the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade threatened to take away military factories from their owners for disrupting the defense order.

This is not the first time Russian IL-76 have faced technical problems. Last year, a Russian military transport plane IL-76MD burned down in Tajikistan.

This year, in March, a Russian military IL-76 transport aircraft took off in the air and crashed in the Ivanovo region of the Russian Federation.