Russian bomber fleet reduced to 27 after Ukraine downs Tu-22M3

Russia now has approximately 27 Tu-22M3 bombers capable of conducting military operations, said Anatoliy Khrapchynskyi, deputy CEO of a Ukrainian electronic warfare company, in an interview with NV Radio on April 19.

"If we consider the number of aircraft (Tu-22M3 bombers), it's approximately 27 according to information from open sources capable of conducting military operations," Khrapchynskyi said.

Ukraine successfully shot down a Russian long-range bomber Tu-22M3 equipped with hard-to-intercept Kh-22 missiles on April 19 for the first time since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Read also: Ukraine downed Russian Tu-22 bomber with makeshift anti-air systems — Budanov

The Ukrainian Armed Forces together with Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) carried out the historic elimination of a Russian Tu-22M3 aircraft, said Ukraine’s Air Force Commander, Mykola Oleshchuk. These aircraft are known for their systematic shelling of Ukraine.

A national security source told NV that the bomber was shot down by a modified Soviet-era S-200 air defense system from about 300 km away — the same means previously used to hit a Russian A-50 early warning and control aircraft.

The bomber managed to reach the Stavropol region, Russia, where it crashed and broke apart.

Four crew members of the Tu-22M3 aircraft ejected during the fall; two were found alive, and one — dead. The search for the last crew member is ongoing

Read also:

• How do Russia's Kh-69 missiles measure up against the West's best?

• Ukraine’s SBU turns Russian long-range radar in Bryansk Oblast into ‘swiss cheese’

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine