A Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber crashed during a training flight in Siberia’s Irkutsk region on Monday, but all four crew members survived after ejecting safely, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry.
The ministry said the aircraft was conducting a routine training mission without carrying any combat weapons when it went down near the village of Kamenka. Officials said there was no damage reported on the ground.
“The crew ejected. There is no threat to the pilots’ lives or health,” the Defense Ministry said, according to Russian news agency Interfax. It added that the aircraft was not carrying a combat payload at the time of the accident.
Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev said emergency services were dispatched immediately after the crash and firefighters were working to extinguish a blaze at the scene. He said all four crew members were taken to hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Kobzev said preliminary information indicated that engine failure was the most likely cause of the crash, although an official investigation is expected to determine the exact circumstances.
Videos circulating on social media, which Reuters could not independently verify, appeared to show the bomber descending rapidly before crashing into a densely forested area near the Angara River. Thick black smoke could be seen rising above the trees after the impact.
The Tu-22M3, known by NATO as the “Backfire,” is a modernized version of the Soviet-designed Tu-22 long-range bomber. The aircraft remains an important component of Russia’s long-range aviation fleet and has been deployed in military operations in Syria and throughout the war in Ukraine.
The bomber is capable of carrying a range of long-distance strike weapons, including Kh-22 air-launched cruise missiles and the air-launched hypersonic Kinzhal missile, according to defense analysts. Designed for supersonic operations, the Tu-22M3 has remained in active Russian service through multiple modernization programs despite its Soviet-era origins.
The latest accident adds to a series of incidents involving Russian military aircraft in recent years, as Moscow continues to rely heavily on its long-range aviation fleet for both training and operational missions.
