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Russian Tu-22M3 Swing-Wing Bomber Seen Plunging Into The Ground
The dramatic accident, captured in multiple videos, removes another precious aircraft from Russia’s long-range bomber fleet. The post Russian Tu-22M3 Swing-Wing Bomber Seen Plunging Into The Ground appeared first on The War Zone.
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Multiple videos circulating on social media show the crash of a Russian Tupolev Tu-22M3 Backfire-C bomber today. Footage shows the swing-wing bomber entering a steep nose-down dive before slamming into the ground, producing a large plume of black smoke. The footage has not been independently verified, but Russian authorities have confirmed the loss of the aircraft.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said the Tu-22M3 crashed while making an approach to land in the Irkutsk region, in southeastern Siberia, during what it described as a routine training flight. According to the ministry, the bomber was not carrying a combat load, all crew members ejected safely, and there were no casualties or damage on the ground. The cause of the crash has not been disclosed, and an investigation is underway.
The governor of the Irkutsk region, Igor Kobzev, said that the aircraft crashed in the Bokhansky district, near the village of Kamenka. Kobzev added that the crew had been found by local people after ejecting and were already getting medical treatment.
Belaya, near Irkutsk, is an important Backfire base, accommodating the 200th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment.
The Tu-22M3 remains a key component of Russia’s Long-Range Aviation fleet and has been used extensively in the war against Ukraine to launch cruise missile strikes in standoff attacks. This makes any loss of the type noteworthy even when it occurs outside of combat operations, as was the case today.
In the Ukraine war, the Tu-22M3 has primarily been associated with attacks using Kh-22 (AS-4 Kitchen) and Kh-32 supersonic anti-ship missiles repurposed for use against ground targets. This weapon has proven to be very destructive, although not highly precise, for land attack applications and has resulted in significant numbers of civilian deaths.
A video from May 2022 that purports to show the launch of Kh-22 cruise missiles, as seen from the cockpit of a Tu-22M3:
The launch of two supersonic cruise missiles kh-22 from a long-range supersonic missile-carrying bomber Tu-22.
📹fighter_bomber pic.twitter.com/kAXU9pP5KW
