A Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber crashed during a training flight in the Irkutsk region of Siberia on Monday, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry.
Video footage circulating on Russian media channels appeared to show the aircraft diving steeply before impacting the ground and erupting into a large plume of smoke.
The Defense Ministry said the bomber was not carrying any weapons and was preparing to land when the crash occurred. Officials stated that all crew members successfully ejected from the aircraft before impact.
🚨BREAKING: Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber has crashed in Russia’s Irkutsk region. 🇷🇺No confirmed information on the crew’s condition yet. Details awaited. pic.twitter.com/65fG14pirq
— WAR (@warsurv) June 15, 2026
“The crew ejected,” the ministry said, adding that the pilots survived the incident and that no casualties or damage were reported on the ground.
While authorities did not specify the exact location of the crash, unconfirmed reports suggested the aircraft went down near the town of Svirsk, roughly 50 kilometers northwest of the Belaya airbase in the Irkutsk region.
Belaya airbase is home to Russia’s 220th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment, which operates both Tu-22M3 long-range bombers and Tu-95 strategic aircraft.
The Tu-22M3 is a supersonic long-range bomber that forms a key part of Russia’s strategic aviation fleet and has been used in multiple military operations over the years.
The incident comes less than a year after Belaya airbase was reportedly targeted during a large-scale Ukrainian drone campaign known as Operation Spider Web, which struck several Russian military airfields.
Russian authorities have not yet disclosed the cause of the crash, and an investigation is expected to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.