Military correspondent Pavel Aksenov of the Russian Service of BBC…
Military correspondent Pavel Aksenov of the Russian Service of BBC explains whether the sound of a supersonic aircraft is similar to the sound of an explosion. The loud sound heard over Moscow and the Moscow region on Friday is explained by the flight of a supersonic aircraft.
Consensus
- A loud bang was heard by residents of Moscow and the Moscow region on August 7.
- The sound was likely caused by a military aircraft flying at supersonic speed.
- The phenomenon is associated with a shockwave formed when an aircraft exceeds the speed of sound.
- The event did not pose a serious danger to people on the ground.
- Civilian aircraft do not fly at supersonic speeds.
Points of divergence
- The expert, Sergey Detenyshov, stated that the aircraft was likely a Su-35, and that the sound could have been heard across different districts of Moscow due to the aircraft being at high altitude. — vm
- The BBC's military correspondent, Pavel Aksenov, noted that there were no visible reports of the aircraft from the ground, and that supersonic flights over populated areas are typically avoided to prevent public disturbance. — tg_bbcrussian
- The Su-57 fighter jet has been equipped with two upgraded anti-radar missiles, the Kh-58UShKE, which have double the range of the original model. — vm
- Footage of a Su-57 maneuver was posted online in December 2025. — vm
Coverage (2 sources)
- Expert Detenyashev: The loud sound in Moscow and the region could have been caused by an aircraft transitioning to supersonic speed — Вечерняя Москва
- Military commentator Pavel Aksenov of the Russian Service of BBC explains whether the flight of a supersonic aircraft... — BBC News Русская служба