Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber crashes on landing approach in Irkutsk region, crew ejects safely
A Russian Tu-22M3 supersonic strategic bomber crashed while attempting to land during a training flight on June 15, 2026, in Russia's Irkutsk region. The crew ejected and survived.
Crash details
A Russian Aerospace Forces Tu-22M3 long-range bomber came down in the Irkutsk region of Siberia during a planned training sortie. The aircraft was on approach to land when an unspecified malfunction occurred, leading the crew to eject. The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed the incident in a statement, adding that the aircraft was unarmed and no injuries or damage occurred on the ground.
On 15 June 2026, during a scheduled training flight in Irkutsk Oblast, while on landing approach, a Tu-22M3 aircraft malfunctioned. The crew ejected. There is no threat to the lives or health of the crew members. No destruction on the ground has been recorded.
The crash site is near the town of Svirsk, approximately 140 kilometres north of Irkutsk, according to witnesses cited by independent Russian outlet Meduza. The Ukrainian military portal Militarnyj suggested the aircraft may have been attempting to land at the Belaya strategic air base, located 20–25 kilometres from the impact zone. The defence ministry said a commission of the Aerospace Forces high command is investigating the cause.
Aircraft profile
The Tupolev Tu-22M3 (NATO reporting name Backfire-C) is a Soviet-era supersonic strategic and maritime strike bomber that entered service in the 1980s. It features variable-sweep wings, a maximum speed of 2,300 km/h, a maximum take‑off weight of 126 tonnes, and an unrefuelled combat radius of 7,000 kilometres. The type is designed to carry nuclear or conventional cruise missiles, including the Kh-22 and Kh-32, which Russia has used extensively against Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. The same aircraft also saw combat service in Georgia (2008) and Syria (2015–2016).
Prior incidents in the same region
The Irkutsk region has now seen three Tu-22M3 crashes in as many years. Meduza recalled that a bomber of the same type went down in the Usolsky district in 2025, and another in the Cheremkhovo district in 2024. No cause for the latest accident has been established, and the defence ministry has not yet linked it to any broader fleet issue.
Video and reactions
Unverified video footage of the aircraft plummeting to the ground began circulating on social media shortly after the crash. The material was shared by Anton Herashchenko, a former advisor to Ukraine’s interior ministry, among others. Russian authorities have not confirmed the authenticity of the recording. The incident comes as Russian strategic aviation continues to operate regular combat sorties against targets in Ukraine, though the MoD stated this particular flight was purely for training purposes.
