Russian Tu-22M3 supersonic bomber crashes in Siberia

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. A Russian Air Force Tu-22M3 bomber crashed during landing this evening in Irkutsk.

A Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber plane crashed on Monday in Siberia’s Irkutsk region during a training flight, the Russian Defence Ministry said, but the aircraft’s four-person crew had managed to safely eject. The Tu-22, which can carry hypersonic “Kinzhal” missiles and is code-named “Backfire” by NATO, is a Soviet-era supersonic bomber that Russia has since used for combat missions in Syria and Ukraine. Unverified footage of the crash on social media showed a plane nose-diving into a thickly wooded area not far from the banks of the Angara river, producing a huge column of smoke.