Russian Tu-22M3 bomber crashes near Murmansk
A Tu-22M3 bomber crashed while attempting to land at a military airfield in the Murmansk region of Russia, TASS reported, citing a source in law enforcement agencies .
"The Tu-22M3 crashed at 1:40 p.m. MSK [on Monday] while landing at the airport of the long-range aviation regiment of Olenegorsk,” the source told the agency. "According to preliminary information, the commander and navigator survived... The crew of this aircraft consists of four people: the commander, assistant commander, navigator and operator," added the source.
The Tu-22M3 is a supersonic bomber with a crew of four, designed to engage targets deep in enemy territory. Its maximum speed is 2,300 km/h and its flight range is 7,000 km.
This is not the Russian military’s first air disaster this year. Earlier, on January 18, two Russian military Su-34 aircraft collided in the Far East.