Russian Tu-22M3 Bomber Crashes During Training Flight in Siberia

A Russian Tu‑22M3 strategic bomber crashed on Monday during a training flight in Siberia’s Irkutsk region, the Russian Defence Ministry told the Interfax news agency.

A Russian Tu‑22M3 strategic bomber crashed on Monday during a training flight in Siberia’s Irkutsk region, the Russian Defence Ministry told the Interfax news agency. The ministry said the crew successfully ejected and survived the incident, although it did not provide details on their condition. The aircraft went down near a densely wooded area close to the banks of the Angara River, according to unverified footage circulating on social media. The video shows the bomber nose‑diving into trees and generating a large column of smoke that rose above the forest canopy. Local emergency services and military units were reported to have been dispatched to the crash site, but official information on search-and-rescue operations and potential casualties on the ground remained limited. The Tu‑22M3 is a supersonic, long-range strategic and maritime strike bomber that forms part of Russia’s long-range aviation fleet. Accidents involving such aircraft have periodically raised scrutiny over maintenance, pilot training, and operational tempo within the Russian military. The defence ministry did not immediately offer a cause for the crash.