Three crew members became victims of the crash of a Tu-22M3 supersonic long-range bomber of the Russian Air Force. Two died at the time of the accident, another later died in hospital. This was reported in the Center for Disaster Medicine of the Murmansk region.

“One of the victims died. (Total. - RT ) three dead, one injured in intensive care in serious condition, ”RIA Novosti quotes the message.

The Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that the plane crashed during a training flight and got into a strong and short-term blizzard - a snow charge.

“On January 22, 2019 in the Murmansk region, after performing a scheduled training flight when it hit the snow charge, the Tu-22M3 plane made a hard landing. As a result of the hard touching of the runway by an aircraft, its destruction occurred, ”the ministry’s statement said.

The Defense Ministry stressed that at the time of the crash there was no ammunition on board the aircraft.

A fire broke out at the scene of the accident, but it was soon extinguished. This was stated in the government of the Murmansk region.

"The fire at the crash site, according to preliminary information, extinguished," - said the press service of the regional government.

Employees of emergency services with a view of safety take out from a place of state of emergency fragments of the plane.

“Work is underway to evacuate the aircraft, it will be dragged to a safe place,” a source in the emergency services told TASS.

"Pilot technology error"

A special commission of the Minobornony flew to the airfield where the accident occurred, the department said.

“A commission of the Russian Ministry of Defense flew to the airfield in the Murmansk region to establish all the circumstances of the hard landing of the Tu-22M3 aircraft. Currently, all possible versions of the incident, including technical malfunction of the aircraft, are being considered, ”the message says.

The cause of the accident could be a crew error, said a source in the security forces.

“The weather was worsening and the plane got into a snow charge. In these conditions, most likely, an error occurred in the piloting technique, which led to a rough landing. As a result, the aircraft’s structure was destroyed and a fire broke out, ”the agency’s source said.

Specialists of PJSC "Tupolev" will be involved in investigating the causes of the crash of a bomber, TASS reported in the press service of the company.

"Specialists of the developer and manufacturer will take part in the work of the commission to investigate the causes of the catastrophe," TASS quoted the spokesman for the press service.

At the same time, the company stressed that the crashed bomber was overhauled in 2012, and it was produced in 1986.

Tu-22M3 entered service with the USSR in 1983. The last copy was completed in 1993. A total of 268 such aircraft were built. The bombers at the disposal of Belarus were transferred to Russia, while the Ukrainians were destroyed.

Prior to this, the Tu-22M3 only once crashed - in July 2004, when landing at the Soltsy airfield in the Novgorod region. Then all four crew members died. The reason was the technical problems in the power supply of the aircraft.

Tu-22M3 flights will be banned until the causes of the crash of the bomber are clarified. This was reported by TASS source in law enforcement agencies.

"At the moment, flights of all Tu-22M3 are prohibited until the causes of today's plane crash have been established," the agency quotes the source.

"Touching two planes in the air"

Recall, on January 18, two Su-34 fighter-bomber collided, as a result of which one of them crashed in the Far East over the Sea of ​​Japan.

“During the scheduled training flight over the Sea of ​​Japan, 35 km from the coast, during the maneuvering, two Su-34 airplanes of the Far Eastern Air Force and Air Defense were touched,” the Defense Ministry reported.

The pilots of one of the planes were forced to eject after the accident. It was reported that one of them survived, and the second died, but later this information was refuted - both Su-34 pilots died.

The injured pilot was evacuated to Khabarovsk, his condition is assessed as satisfactory.