The crash of the Tu-22M3 missile carrier in the Irkutsk region could have been caused by human error. This version of events was put forward by Honored Military Pilot of the Russian Federation, retired Major General Vladimir Popov.
According to him, the Tu-22M3 is very reliable equipment, and what happened can be explained by a simple coincidence. Flight safety is a very complex process that includes a number of measures both on the ground and in the air.
Failure begins or an abnormal situation arises literally from trifles. Human factor plays a very important role here.
On Monday, June 15, a Tu-22M3 crashed in the Bokhan district of the Irkutsk region. The preliminary cause of the incident was named engine failure.
Since 2024, at least three incidents involving Tu-22M3s are also known. In April 2025, a crash occurred in the Irkutsk region, in August 2024, an aircraft crashed in the Cheremkhovsky district of the Irkutsk region. Also in April 2024, a Tu-22M3 crashed in the Stavropol Krai after completing a combat mission.
"Perviy Tekhnicheskiy" answered the main questions about the Tu-22M3. In total, there are about 50 units of such missile carriers in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces.