A Tupolev Tu-22M3 strategic bomber drops bombs during the Aviadarts competition, part of the International Army Games 2018, at the Dubrovichi range outside Ryazan, Russia August 4, 2018. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A nuclear-capable Tupolev-22M3 supersonic bomber crashed while trying to land in a snowstorm on Tuesday in Russia’s far north, the Defence Ministry said, saying the aircraft did not have any weapons on board.

Two of the plane’s four-man crew died in the crash and a third later died of his wounds in hospital, Russian news agencies reported. The fourth crew member survived.

The accident happened in Russia’s Murmansk region when the Soviet-era plane tried to land at an airbase near the city of Olenegorsk in a fierce snowstorm and amid high winds.

The plane broke up on the tarmac and caught fire.

The Defence Ministry said it was investigating all possibilities, including a technical fault.</s>"On 22 January, the Tu-22M3, after completing a scheduled training flight in the Murmansk region, made a hard landing when it encountered heavy snow… According to a report, two pilots were taken to a medical facility, where they’re receiving the necessary assistance. Two crew members were killed", the ministry said in a statement.

The doctors estimate the surviving pilots to be in grave condition, according to a source.

The Tu-22M3 is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing, long-range strategic and maritime strike bomber developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau and designed to destroy naval and ground targets at a distance of up to 2,200 km from home-based airfields with guided missiles and bombs.

READ MORE: Locked and Loaded: Russia's Tu-22M3 Bombers to Boast Advanced Cruise Missiles

The first experimental flight was carried out in 1977, and in March 1989 the aircraft was finally put into service.</s>A Tu-22M3 supersonic strategic bomber has crashed in Russia’s north-west while trying to make a landing during a sudden snowstorm. Two crew members died in the incident while two others were injured.

The bomber got into trouble after conducting a training exercise, the Russian defense ministry reported. It attempted to make a landing at an air base near the city of Olenegorsk in Russia’s Murmansk region.

The aircraft was destroyed by the impact. Two crew members died on the spot while two others survived and were taken to a hospital for treatment, the ministry said.

The storm, which affected the aircraft, is of a rare kind that only happens in Arctic areas. It is almost impossible to predict and develops very rapidly, turning a calm day into a fierce and dangerous blizzard.

The Tupolev Tu-22M3 is a supersonic long-range bomber, which can carry nuclear air-to-surface missile. The model has been operational since the late 1980s. The aircraft that crashed in the Murmansk region had no weapons on board, according to the ministry statement.

The air base near Olenegorsk is operated by the long-range command of the Russian Air Forces and is one of several where Tu-22M3s are deployed.

to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media won’t tell you.</s>Moscow, Jan 23 (IANS) A Tupolev Tu-22M3 supersonic strike bomber has crashed in Russia’s northwestern region of Murmansk, media reported.

The accident occurred at 1:40 p.m. (5:40 a.m. ET) as the long-range bomber was attempting to land, according to Russian state news agency TASS, citing law enforcement officials.

The warplane had four crew members onboard: the commander, co-pilot, navigator and operator.

Two crew members have died and two have survived, according to law enforcement officials, TASS reported.

It was not immediately clear what caused the plane to crash.

The Tupolev Tu-22M3 is a supersonic long-range bomber which entered service in Russia during the 1980s, reports CNN.

The aircraft is capable of performing nuclear strikes as well as conventional attacks and anti-ship missions, according to Jane’s by IHS Markit.

President Vladimir Putin claimed last year that Russia would soon unveil new weaponry that can render NATO defences “completely useless,” including a new hypersonic missile system.

After a December 26 test of the missile, which the Russian leader claims is “invulnerable” to US defences, Putin said: “Russia is the first in the world to receive a new type of strategic weapon and this will reliably ensure the security of our state and of our people for decades to come.”

The Avangard hypersonic system was tested from the Dombarovsky military airbase in southwest Russia, reported TASS.</s>A supersonic Russian Tu-22M3 bomber crashed in a fireball while attempting to land in a blizzard in the Arctic today.

Three crew members were killed following the incident which has left another in a "grave condition" in hospital.

Witnesses said the twin-engine strategic long-range bomber exploded in flames as it “broke apart” at an air base in Murmansk region in far northern Russia.

Emergency services extinguished a major fire at the scene, say reports.

"A Tu-22M3 plane made a hard landing after a training flight, due to a snow flurry,” said a defence ministry source.

Initial reports said two crew members were killed and two survived.

Later Ren TV and Vesti TV reported one of the wounded men - the flight commander - had also died.

The crash was at Olenya air base, near Olenegrosk, on the Kola Peninsula some 57 miles south of Murmansk city.

Aviation expert Vadim Lukashevich believed that the crash was likely caused by a vertical wind gust that suddenly hit the plane before touchdown, according to the RIA Novosti news agency.

The Tupolev bomber - an aircraft in service since the Soviet era - can strike targets 4,350 miles from base.

It has a crew of four.

A Tu-22M3 crashed in summer 2004 when a plane crashed in Novgorod region killing all the 4 crew members on board.

The accident comes less than a week after two Su-34 bombers collided in the Russian Far East during a scheduled training exercise last Friday.

Only one of the four crew members was rescued.</s>A Tu-22M3 supersonic strategic bomber has crashed in Russia’s north-west while trying to make a landing during a sudden snowstorm. Two crew members died in the incident while two others were injured.

 The bomber got into trouble after conducting a training exercise, the Russian defense ministry reported. It attempted to make a landing at an air base near the city of Olenegorsk in Russia’s Murmansk region.

The aircraft was destroyed by the impact. Two crew members died on the spot while two others survived and were taken to a hospital for treatment, the ministry said.</s>Two crew members died and two others were injured after a Russian Tu-22M3 supersonic strategic bomber has crashed in northwestern Russia while trying to make a landing at an air base near the city of Olenegorsk in Russia's Murmansk region during a sudden snowstorm, according to RT.

CNN reported that the incident occurred at 5:40 am ET. The aircraft had four crew members - a commander, co-pilot, navigator and operator - on board. It wasn't immediately clear which had been killed.

The aircraft was destroyed on impact, though, seemingly miraculously, two crew members managed to survive and were taken to the hospital. The storm is reportedly a rare kind that only happens in the Arctic. According to RT, it is almost impossible to predict and can develop very rapidly.

The Tupolev Tu-22M3 is a strategic, nuclear-equipped supersonic long-range bomber that has been operational since the late 1980s. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the crashed aircraft had no weapons on board. The air base near Olenegorsk is operated by a branch of the Russian Air Force that controls long-range fighters and is one of several where Tu-22M3s are deployed.

In addition to being capable of performing nuclear attacks, the Tu-22M3 can be equipped with conventional weapons and weapons enabling it to carry out anti-ship missions.

The crash occurred shortly after Russia carried out its first test of a new hypersonic missile that President Vladimir Putin said will be able to penetrate NATO anti-missile defenses.</s>You must have an Aviation Week Intelligence Network (AWIN) account or subscribe to this Market Briefing to access "Tu-22M3 Bomber Crashes In Northern Russia".

Current Aviation Week Intelligence Network (AWIN) enterprise and individual members: please go to http://awin.aviationweek.com for access.

Not currently a subscriber? Click on the "Learn More" button below to view subscription offers.</s>The Tu-22M3 supersonic strategic bomber crashed in Russia’s north-west while trying to make a landing during a sudden snowstorm.

Two crew members died in the incident while two others were injured.

The bomber got into trouble after conducting a training exercise, the Russian defence ministry reported.

It attempted to make a landing at an air base near the city of Olenegorsk in Russia’s Murmansk region.</s>Interfax quoted the ministry’s press service as saying that the Tupolev Tu-22M3 made a “hard landing” and was destroyed after getting caught in a snow squall in the Murmansk region. The latest crash follows a deadly collision between two Sukhoi Su-34 fighter-bombers over the Sea of Japan in Far East Russia on Friday.

At least three crew members were killed and one injured when a military strategic bomber crashed in northwestern Russia on Tuesday, the Defense Ministry has said.

“Two pilots were taken to a medical facility where they’re receiving the needed assistance. Two crew members died,” the Defense Ministry was quoted as saying about the latest crash, citing reports on the ground.

One of the injured crew members was later proclaimed dead, Interfax cited a local emergency services official as saying, increasing the death toll to three people.

Emergency services told Interfax a fire broke out at the crash site.

An unnamed source in the security services later told the state-run TASS news agency that pilot error compounded by bad weather may have caused the deadly crash.



Update: An earlier version of this article said that two crew members had died. It has been updated to account for the third death.
A Tupolev Tu-22M3 supersonic strike bomber crashes in Russia's northwestern Murmansk region while attempting landing during a storm. Three of its four crewmen are killed.