Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) revealed details of the operation that led to the successful interception of a Russian Tu-22M3 bomber, which launched Kh-22 missiles toward Ukraine.
In a joint operation with the Air Force, Ukrainian forces shot down one of the Tu-22M3 bombers engaged in a missile attack on Ukraine during the night of April 19th.
The downed enemy aircraft, which hit approximately 300 kilometers from Ukraine, met the same fate as the previously targeted Russian A-50 Mainstay airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) jet. Despite the impact, the bomber managed to fly towards the Stavropol region before crashing.
This marks the first successful elimination of a Russian long-range bomber during an active sortie amid Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Previously, Ukrainian forces had destroyed a Tu-22M3 using suicide drones while the bomber was stationed at its own airbase.
As a result of the Russian strike, 2 people were killed in Dnipro, 6 people were killed in Synelnykove, including two children, and 29 residents of the region were injured. Later, it became known that another child died in the hospital.