A Tu-22M3 Backfire swing-wing bomber crashed in the Stavropol Krai of Russia, shortly after conducting a missile strike on Ukraine, as reported by Russian media outlets.
According to Governor Vladimir Vladimirov, the aircraft went down in the Chervonogvardeisky district of Stavropol Krai, with the pilots ejecting from the plane. Search and rescue teams have located the pilots and are transporting them to a medical facility. One pilot is still missing.
The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that the aircraft involved was a Tu-22M3 long-range bomber, returning to base after completing its mission. Initial reports suggest that technical malfunction may have caused the crash.
Video footage circulating on social media depicts the Tu-22M3 engulfed in flames as it fell into a field near a populated area.
⚡️The 🇺🇦Ukrainian military shot down (?) a 🇷🇺Russian Tu-22M3 long-range strategic missile-carrying bomber for the first time pic.twitter.com/wZaUfbWJLi
— 🇺🇦Ukrainian Front (@front_ukrainian) April 19, 2024
Additionally, Ukrainian officials have stated that air defense units of the Ukrainian Air Force, in coordination with the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), successfully intercepted and shot down the Tu-22M3 bomber – a carrier of Kh-22 cruise missiles.
The Tupolev Tu-22M3, also known as the “Backfire” by NATO, is a supersonic bomber developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 1960s. Russia uses the Tu-22M3 for conducting airstrikes in various theaters, including Ukraine, using outdated anti-ship missiles like the Kh-22. However, due to their poor accuracy and excessive power, these strikes often result in civilian casualties.