A Tu-22M3 strategic missile carrier has crashed in southern Russia's Stavropol region after performing a combat mission, the Defense Ministry said Friday.
“An airplane crashed in a field on the territory of the Krasnogvardeysky district. According to preliminary data, there is no destruction or victims, the pilots ejected,” Stavropol Governor Vladimir Vladimirov wrote on Telegram.
Footage circulating on social media shows the bomber spinning as it descends to the ground with a fire near its tail.
Three pilots have been found alive, two of whom were taken to the hospital, he later said. Authorities are currently searching for the fourth pilot, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported, citing the Defense Ministry.
The Defense Ministry said a “technical malfunction” caused the crash, noting that there was no ammunition on board.
An anonymous source in Ukraine's defense forces told the RBC Ukraine news website that the plane was shot down in a GUR military intelligence operation 300 kilometers from Ukraine's borders.
“This is the first strategic aircraft that Ukraine managed to destroy during a flight. It carried out strikes on Ukraine,” RBC Ukraine quoted the source as saying.
The source said a second bomber flying with the Tu-22M3 turned around after the plane was shot down.
It was not possible to independently confirm this report.
