Tu-22M3 bomber crashes in Russia
A Tu-22M3 bomber crashed in Russia’s Irkutsk region while on approach to land, Russia’s Defense Ministry said.
The ministry said the aircraft was on a scheduled training flight. The crew successfully ejected.
The bomber was not carrying munitions, the Defense Ministry said. In a statement cited by the Russian state news agency TASS, the ministry described the crash as an “accident.”
Witnesses said the plane came down near the city of Svirsk.
The Tu-22M3 is a long-range supersonic strategic bomber. These aircraft are part of Russia’s long-range aviation within the Aerospace Forces. Long-range aviation is one component of Russia’s nuclear triad, though the aircraft can also carry out strikes using conventional weapons, including cruise missiles.
In April 2025, a Tu-22M3 crashed in the Usolsky district of Russia’s Irkutsk region; in August 2024, another crash occurred in the Cheremkhovsky district of the same region.
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