Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said that Ukrainian forces successfully struck a Russian Tu-22M3 bomber with a drone several days ago, according to an interview with Lb.ua.
"A few days ago, our successful actions destroyed a Tu-22M3 long-range bomber. It had just landed when our drone hit it. The cost is about 100 million dollars," Syrskyi said.
The Tu-22M3 is a supersonic long-range strategic bomber with variable-sweep wings. It was developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 1960s and manufactured between 1978 and 1993.
Ukrainian Pravda reported earlier, citing its source in Ukraine's military intelligence directorate (HUR), that Ukrainian forces targeted three military airfields inside Russia with drones on the morning of 5 April. The source claimed that three Tu-95MS strategic bombers likely sustained significant damage during the attack on Engels-2 airfield.
The Russian bomber fleet has been used to launch missile strikes against Ukrainian targets throughout the war.
- Russia struggles to maintain aging Tu-22M3 bomber fleet amid losses
- Media: Ukrainian drones strike Russian TU-22M3 bomber 1,800 km from front
- Russia assembles third of combat-ready Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 at the Olenya base
