'1천억짜리' 러 전폭기, 수직 곤두박질 '쾅'…"추락 원인, 엔진 결함" / 연합뉴스 (Yonhapnews)

'100 Billion Won' Russian Bomber Takes Vertical Plummet with a 'Boom'... "Cause of Crash: Engine Malfunction" (Seoul = Yonhap News) A fighter jet dives steeply at an angle of nearly 90 degrees before hitting the ground and exploding. A column of pitch-black smoke rises along with bright red flames. A Russian Tupolev (Tu)-22M3 long-range strategic bomber conducting a training flight in Irkutsk Oblast, Siberia, crashed while attempting to land. On the 15th (local time), the U.S. military news outlet The War Zone reported in an article titled "Russian Tu-22M3 Bomber Captured Plummeting to Ground" that "the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that a Tu-22M3 crashed while attempting to land in Irkutsk Oblast on that day." There is an air base in Belaya, Irkutsk Oblast, where a large number of Russian strategic bombers are stationed. It is reported that all four crew members on board safely escaped. Although the cause of the crash is unknown, media reports indicate that Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobdev stated in a press release that "engine failure is being identified as the likely cause." The Tu-22M3, codenamed "Backfire" by NATO, is a supersonic long-range strategic bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons and the hypersonic "Kinzhal" missile; a single unit costs approximately $100 million, or about 151.4 billion Korean won. Classified as a critical asset of the Russian Air Force, the Tu-22M3 has been stationed at rear airbases beyond the range of Ukrainian weapons, bombing various parts of Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles. On the same day that the Tu-22M3 strategic bomber crashed, a U.S. B-52 strategic bomber crashed in California shortly after takeoff. It is reported that all eight crew members aboard the bomber died. Produced by: Jin Hye-sook, Choi Ju-ri Video: Reuters, AFP, X, Russian Ministry of Defense YouTube #YonhapNews #RussianMilitary #Bomber #StrategicBomber #Tupolev #Tu22M3 #bomber #Tupolev #Irkutsk #UkraineWar #ukrainewar #Belaya ◆ Yonhap News YouTube →    / yonhap   ◆ Yonhap News Website → https://www.yna.co.kr/ ◆ Yonhap News Facebook →   / yonhap   ◆ Yonhap News Instagram →   / yonhap_news   [Copyright (c) Yonhap News. Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution, AI learning, and use are prohibited.]