Russia has lost multiple Tu-22M3 strategic bombers to crashes attributed to technical malfunctions in 2025, highlighting reliability concerns with the country’s aging long-range bomber fleet as it sustains losses from both accidents and Ukrainian strikes.
A Tu-22M3 crashed during a routine flight in the Irkutsk region of southeastern Siberia on April 2, 2025, killing one of four crew members who ejected, according to Russian authorities. The crash was attributed to a technical malfunction, Russian officials said.
The aircraft struck a power line during its descent near the village of Buret in the Usolsk district, cutting power to 210 houses and three facilities, according to reports. The plane went down in an uninhabited area, causing no damage to civilian structures, Irkutsk region governor Igor Kobzev said.
Pattern of crashes
The April crash marked at least the second Tu-22M3 lost to technical failures in the same region within eight months. In August 2024, another Tu-22M3 crashed in the Cheremkhovsky District of Irkutsk Oblast, with all four crew members surviving after ejecting. That incident was also attributed to technical malfunction, according to Russian Defense Ministry statements.
The Tupolev Tu-22M3, NATO codename “Backfire,” is a supersonic variable-sweep wing bomber that entered service in 1972. Russia operates the aircraft primarily as a cruise missile carrier, launching Kh-22 and Kh-32 missiles with ranges exceeding 600 kilometers.
Ukrainian strikes compound losses
The crashes come as Ukraine has targeted Russian strategic bomber bases with long-range drone strikes. Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said in April 2025 that a Ukrainian drone destroyed a landed Tu-22M3 at a Russian airbase, marking another loss to the fleet.
Ukraine has conducted multiple strikes on Russian airbases housing strategic bombers throughout 2024 and 2025, forcing Russia to relocate aircraft and adjust operational patterns.
Aging fleet challenges
The Tu-22M3 fleet was manufactured between 1969 and 1993, with approximately 497 aircraft built, according to publicly available specifications. The bombers now average over 30 years in service, raising questions about maintenance capabilities and airframe longevity.
Russia relies heavily on the Tu-22M3 for long-range strike missions in Ukraine, using the bombers to launch cruise missiles from standoff distances. The aircraft has been used extensively throughout the conflict to strike Ukrainian infrastructure and military targets.
The combination of combat losses, Ukrainian strikes on airbases, and technical failures has gradually reduced Russia’s operational bomber fleet since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to defense analysts.
