Military plane crashes in Russia’s Irkutsk region, killing pilot

MOSCOW

The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday that a Tu-22M3 strategic bomber crashed during a training flight in the Irkutsk region of southeastern Siberia.

The pilot was killed while the other four members of the crew ejected, the ministry said in a statement.

The incident occurred in a remote area and resulted in no damage or casualties on the ground, it said.

The ministry attributed the cause of the accident to a technical malfunction.

A search and rescue team arrived on the scene and safely transported the survivors to their home airfield.

The Tu-22M3 bombers, part of the long-range aviation branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces, are a key component of Russia’s nuclear triad, along with submarines and intercontinental ballistic missiles.