Recently, the Sino-Japanese relations have become tense again, leading to a batch of rumors resurfacing.

Over these days, there was a message circulating widely on a domestic short video platform, claiming that a Russian Tu-95 bomber experienced a mechanical failure while flying over the Sea of Japan, causing its bomb bay door to unexpectedly open and drop a glide bomb, which hit a Japanese forward outpost and caused casualties.

The account spreading this message described the cause, course, and outcome of the incident in great detail: some claimed that "the entire Japan sounded the alarm," and "the Chief Cabinet Secretary gave an impromptu speech at an emergency press conference in the early morning, demanding Russia to give an explanation";

Additionally, the plane on the map is not a Tu-95, but a Su-34.

Some also claimed that Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zarakhova expressed regret about the incident, stating that the cause was aging parts, and due to U.S. sanctions, it has been difficult for the Russian military to maintain their aircraft. "If the sanctions continue, similar incidents are likely to be unavoidable," and so on.

So, once again, the question remains: Is the so-called "Russian Tu-95 bomber dropping bombs on a Japanese outpost due to a mechanical failure" true or false?

Of course, it's fake. Not to mention the absurdity of the story itself, this rumor is full of flaws: just regarding the time of the incident, different accounts provided three conflicting versions: November 25th, 26th, and 27th — such inconsistency in the most basic element of time is the most prominent feature of a rumor.

When exactly did this "bomb" fall from Russia?

This doesn't even need to be mentioned; as of now, neither Japan's major news agencies nor Russia's official news agencies have released any related information.

A basic logic is that we can imagine: if a country's bomber really dropped a bomb on another country's territory and caused casualties, this would be a very serious international incident. The affected country's government would immediately raise a solemn protest and negotiation through diplomatic channels, and the incident would inevitably become the headline of global media.

However, the current situation is that the "victim" Japan is completely silent, and the "accused" Russia is also inactive, which is completely unreasonable: from a common sense perspective, if such a big event actually happened, the Japanese government would have taken action by now, and it would not be as calm as it is now.

Evidently, the so-called "Russian bomber dropping bombs on a Japanese outpost" is entirely fabricated.

Does the Tu-95 know it dropped a bomb?

The reason why the rumor spreads widely is ultimately because it touches on many people's sensitive nerves about international military news.

Indeed, the Russian Tu-95 bomber often patrols over the Sea of Japan, and the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force often deploys fighter jets to accompany and monitor it, which is an open "cat-and-mouse game." But a mechanical failure causing a Russian bomber's bomb to fall and hit a Japanese outpost sounds like a movie scene, often ignoring the complexity of reality.

So, if a country's military aircraft encounters an emergency mechanical failure requiring the jettisoning of a bomb while flying in international airspace, what is the correct procedure?

This is not a decision that can be made arbitrarily, but rather follows a strict emergency procedure, with the core being to minimize risk and maintain transparency, including conducting safety assessments, reducing threats to personnel and civilian ship routes; informing surrounding countries and air traffic control departments through international distress safety communication frequencies to avoid being mistaken for hostile actions; after the accident is handled, the country must still provide an explanation to potentially affected countries to avoid international disputes.

What!?! The U.S. B-2 bomber defected to Russia?

It needs to be emphasized that even if the above procedures are followed, if a country's bomb accidentally falls into another country's jurisdiction, the country is still responsible, such as clearing unexploded ordnance according to international treaties like the Convention on Conventional Weapons, and compensating for economic and environmental damage caused, etc.

In short, except for a certain country that claims to be the "world police," often using "mistaken bombing" as an excuse to drop bombs on other countries, even bombing its allies, most countries will pay attention to the minimum international image when dealing with such emergencies, trying to avoid negative impacts as much as possible.

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7577645659458339382/

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