The Russian Defense Ministry said today that one of its long-range bombers, a Tupolev Tu-22M3, crashed in Russia's Stavropol region due to a technical failure. One of four crew members lost life in the accident.
Previously, the Kiev army had announced that it had shot down - for the first time since the beginning of the war - a Tu- 22M3 long-range strategic bomber used to launch cruise missiles against the country's cities. The crash was caused by a 'technical failure,' according to the Defense Ministry. The incident was reported by Russian news agency Interfax, which said one of the crew members died in the crash. It was the first such incident since the start of the Ukrainian war in early 2011.