Russian Air Force Tu-22M Crash

A Tupolev Tu-22M3 strategic bomber of the Russian Air Force crashed near Buret in Usolsky District, Irkutsk Oblast. All four crew members ejected, but one died in the process. The Tu-22M3 has been used extensively to launch Kh-22 and Kh-32 cruise missiles against Ukraine, and the fleet is irreplaceable: production ended in the early 1990s and Russia can only refurbish stored airframes. The loss compounded attrition that already included aircraft destroyed on the ground in Ukrainian long-range drone raids.