The Russian government said equipment worth roughly one million roubles (around €11,000) was stolen from the Ilyushin-80 plane while it was undergoing maintenance.

The “doomsday” plane has no passenger windows and can fly for several days at a time, making an ideal command centre during a nuclear attack, The Times reports.

At least a dozen people have been questioned in connection with the thefts but no arrests have been made.