A Russian Tu-22M3 long-range supersonic bomber crashed in the Irkutsk region, Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Monday, according to the state-run TASS agency.
Moscow claims the aircraft went down while approaching landing after a routine training flight. Officials said the pilots managed to eject, and insisted there was no damage to civilian infrastructure on the ground.
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The Defense Ministry also stated that the bomber was not carrying any weapons at the time of the crash. A commission from Russia’s Aerospace Forces has been dispatched to investigate the incident.
Monitoring group ASTRA reported that the aircraft may have taken off from the Belaya air base, located around 30 kilometers from the crash site. The base was previously targeted during Ukraine’s “Spiderweb” operation last year.
The Tu-22M3 is a Soviet-era, supersonic long-range strategic bomber developed by Tupolev Aircraft Company.
Entering service in the 1980s, it remains one of Russia’s key long-range strike aircraft, capable of carrying missiles and bombs and flying at supersonic speeds over vast distances.
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