A Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber crashed during a routine training flight in Siberia's Irkutsk region on Monday, nosediving into the ground and triggering a large fire. According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the four-member crew managed to eject safely from the aircraft before impact, and their lives are not in danger.
Footage circulated by media outlets linked to Russia's security services captured the Tupolev bomber plunging from the sky, followed by thick plumes of black smoke. Additional unverified videos on social media showed the aircraft going down in a densely wooded area near the Angara River. Inasmuch as the airplane did not have any war load, it can be determined from the authorities that nobody got hurt or sustained major damages on the ground.
The Irkutsk regional governor, Igor Kobzev, has revealed that the incident took place in the vicinity of Kamenka village. Firefighters have been mobilised to put out the fire, and the four pilots involved have been admitted to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.Governor Kobzev added that preliminary assessments point towards a technical malfunction, specifically engine failure, as the likely cause of the accident.
The Tu-22, designated by NATO as the "Backfire," is a Soviet-era supersonic long-range bomber that the Russian military has deployed in combat operations across Syria and Ukraine. The specific variant involved in the crash, the Tu-22M3, is a modernised version capable of launching Kh-22 cruise missiles as well as hypersonic Kinzhal missiles.
Also read: Russia launches massive strike on Ukraine, 11 killed
Follow us
