The Russian Defense Ministry has said that the long-range bomber crashed because of a “technical malfunction.”
Ukraine has downed a Russian Tu-22M3 supersonic bomber for the first time in the war launched by Moscow, according to Kyiv’s military intelligence.
The Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine (HUR) issued a statement early on Friday saying that Kyiv’s forces shot down the long-range bomber, causing it to crash in Russia’s Stavropol Territory.
Ukraine’s air force has previously said Russia has used the Tu-22M3 aircraft to fire Kh-22 cruise missiles at Ukrainian territory. The HUR said the bomber that was downed “carried out a missile attack against Ukraine on the night of April 19.”
The aircraft was shot down “as a result of a [HUR] special operation in cooperation with the Air Force,” it said, adding that it was struck at a distance of about 300 kilometers from Ukraine.
The HUR added: “It should be noted that this is the first successful destruction of a strategic bomber in the air during a combat sortie during the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
