Intentional Crash

Lunik 2 also known as Luna 2 was a Soviet spacecraft launched on September 12, 1959. The spacecraft was equipped with scientific instruments to study the lunar surface and it also carried a pennant with the soviet coat of arms on it. The mission was successful and Luna 2 became the first man-made object to reach the surface of the moon.

The Soviet Union did not crash its spacecraft, Lutnik 2, during the space race. Lutnik 2 is not a known Soviet spacecraft. The Soviet Union did, however, have a number of failed spacecraft launches during the space race, including the Luna program, which aimed to land a spacecraft on the moon but ultimately failed to do so. Additionally, The Soviet Union did intentionally crash some of their spacecrafts as part of their space program, such as the Venera 4 probe on Venus, it was done to collect data on the planet's atmosphere during descent.

Maybe it appeared to be intentional because of the existing tension between the countries during times of war. Some news at the time won't be credible since the setting was very political.

Quote from Buzz

The Soviet Union did not crash its spacecraft, Lutnik 2, during the space race. Lutnik 2 is not a known Soviet spacecraft. The Soviet Union did, however, have a number of failed spacecraft launches during the space race, including the Luna program, which aimed to land a spacecraft on the moon but ultimately failed to do so. Additionally, The Soviet Union did intentionally crash some of their spacecrafts as part of their space program, such as the Venera 4 probe on Venus, it was done to collect data on the planet's atmosphere during descent.

The Soviet Union, like any other space-faring nation, had its fair share of crashes and failures during its space program. However, despite these setbacks, the Soviet Union made many significant contributions to space exploration and technology, and their successes and innovations continue to inspire future generations of scientists and engineers.