The Russian Defense Ministry reported that the Tu-22M3 plane crashed in the Irkutsk region during landing.
According to the ministry, the suicide bomber was on a scheduled training trip. The crew has been ejected, and there is no threat to the life and health of the pilots.
The Russian Defense Ministry claims that the plane was flying without ammunition. In a statement issued by the ministry, reported by TASS, the plane crash was described as an “accident.”
Eyewitnesses said that the plane crashed near the city of Svirsk.
Tu-22M3 is a long-range supersonic missile launcher. These aircraft are part of the long-range aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces. Long-range aircraft are a component of Russia’s nuclear triad, but they can also carry out strikes with conventional missiles and bombs, including cruise missiles.
In April 2025, a Tu-22M3 crashed in the Usolsky district of the Irkutsk region, in August 2024 – in the Sheremekhovo district of the Irkutsk region.