Mash: the commander of the Tu-22M3 ejected the crew members and took them away from residential buildings
The Tu-22M3 supersonic missile carrier crashed in the Stavropol Territory. Four crew members managed to eject, but one of them died. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the cause of the disaster was a technical malfunction. The RBC Ukraine agency, citing a source in the Ukrainian army, claims that the crash of the Tu-22M3 was the result of the operation GUR.
On the morning of April 19, the governor of the Stavropol Territory, Vladimir Vladimirov, announced the crash of a military aircraft on the territory of the Krasnogvardeysky district.
"A plane crashed into a field. According to operational data, there are no destructions and casualties, the pilots ejected," he wrote in his Telegram channel.
Less than an hour later, the crash was confirmed by the Russian Defense Ministry. The agency's message was published by the RIA Novosti news agency.
The Russian Defense Ministry added that all four crew members managed to eject. There was no one else on board. According to the head of the region, two crew members were taken to the hospital, where they are receiving all necessary assistance.
"Unfortunately, the third crew member was killed. I express my condolences to his family and friends. The search for the fourth pilot continues," the governor said.
The Ministry of Defense also named the preliminary cause of the crash. It was a technical malfunction. There was no ammunition on board, the plane crashed in a deserted area. There is no destruction on earth, the ministry concluded.
According to the Telegram channel Mash, the preliminary reason for the fall of the Tu-22M3 is the loss of thrust of one of the engines after the explosion of the hydraulic system and a fire.
According to the channel, the commander remained alone in the cockpit and "led the bomber away from residential buildings to the last."
At the same time, RBC Ukraine, citing a source in the Ukrainian army, claims that the Tu-22M3 crashed in the Stavropol Territory as a result of the operation of the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. The agency's interlocutor said that this was allegedly "the first strategic aviation aircraft that Ukraine managed to destroy during the flight."
According to the source of RBC Ukraine, the bomber was striking Ukraine. The interlocutor also noted that another plane following the Tu-22MZ allegedly turned around after the crash.
What combat missions does the Tu-22M3 perform?
The Tu-22M3 is a long-range supersonic bomber missile carrier. As stated on the website of the design bureau, the aircraft is designed to defeat sea and land-based targets with guided missiles and aerial bombs.
The Tu-22M3 made its first test flight in 1977, and a year later it was put into mass production. In its final form, the aircraft entered service in 1989, although it was used before that.
The first operation for the Tu-22M3 was the war in Afghanistan. The bombers were used for the withdrawal of units of the 40th Army in 1988. After that, the aircraft performed combat missions during the counter-terrorism operation in the North Caucasus, the war in Georgia, Russia's military operation in Syria and a special operation in Ukraine.
The Tu-22M3 is the carrier of the X-15 and X-22 missiles. In 2018, it became known that the bomber will receive the latest hypersonic Dagger missiles. The aircraft is capable of carrying four such missiles at the same time.
In 2022, The Sun newspaper named the Tu-22M3 the deadliest Russian bomber.
Eva Vishnevskaya