Maria Ragutkina21:06, 02.04.25

It is from these aircraft that Kh-22 missiles are launched over Ukraine.

A Tu-22M3 strategic bomber crashed in Russia on April 2. Information about this appeared in Russian public forums.

According to preliminary data, the accident occurred in the Irkutsk region.

There were four crew members on board. Information about the dead and injured has not yet been disclosed. The Russian Defense Ministry has not commented on the situation.

According to unconfirmed reports, the crew members managed to eject. According to the governor of the Irkutsk region, Igor Kobzev, the plane was performing a scheduled flight. It crashed near the settlement of Buret, Bokhansky district.

“There were no destruction of residential buildings and no casualties among the civilian population. The aircraft’s crew of 4 ejected.

According to the crew commander’s report, one pilot died.

The search and rescue team that arrived at the scene is evacuating the crew to the place of deployment. Emergency services of the Ministry of Emergency Situations are working at the scene. The cause of the accident is a technical malfunction,” he said.

It is noteworthy that it is from these aircraft that Kh-22 missiles are launched over Ukraine. The aircraft is capable of carrying nuclear weapons and conventional cruise missiles.

What is the vulnerability of the Tu-22M? 

As UNIAN reported, earlier, American journalist Caleb Larson told whether the Tu-22M bomber has vulnerabilities .

According to him, the Russian bomber plays an important role for Moscow in the war against Ukraine. However, its outdated design leaves its future in the era of stealth aircraft in question.

According to the expert, the Tu-22M should conduct strategic reconnaissance as intended and, thanks to the possibility of refueling in the air, have a large flight radius. In Ukraine, the Russian Federation uses the Tu-22M as a long-range platform for launching missiles. This strategy allows the Russians to keep the planes away from vulnerable airspace.

(c)UNIAN 2025