MOSCOW, April 19 (Xinhua) -- A crew member of a Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber died when the aircraft crashed in the Krasnogvardeisky district of the Stavropol Territory, regional governor Vladimir Vladimirov said on social media Friday.
Updated information on the incident shows that one of the four crew members died in the incident, and two were taken to hospital. The search for the fourth crew member continues.
The plane crashed in the Krasnogvardeisky district of the Stavropol Territory while returning to its home airfield after completing a combat mission. Initial findings suggest that the crash was caused by a technical fault.
In a statement, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian strategic bomber Tu-22M3 for the first time since the beginning of the conflict.
The aircraft was brought down about 300 km from the Ukrainian border when it was taking part in a missile attack on Ukraine, it said.
The special operation to destroy the bomber was carried out jointly by Ukraine's Defense Intelligence and the Air Force, it added.
On early Friday, the Russian forces launched 22 missiles, including six Kh-22 cruise missiles from Tu-22M3 bombers, and 14 combat drones against Ukraine, the Ukrainian Air Force said. ■
