Russia has lost more than 70% of Tu-22M3 bombers since the start of the war, - Defense Express 0 13

Since the beginning of the war, the Russians have likely lost more than 70% of their combat-ready long-range bombers Tu-22M3. This is reported by Defense Express.

The publication recalled that in December 2022, 3 Tu-22M3 were damaged at the Dyagilevo airbase, in August 2023, one Tu-22M3 was destroyed and another 2 were damaged at the Soltsy airbase, and in April 2024, one was shot down by the Armed Forces of Ukraine using the S-200 air defense system over the Stavropol region of the Russian Federation.

Also, in July 2024, 2 Tu-22M3 were damaged at the Olenya airbase, in August 2024, one crashed in the Irkutsk region of the Russian Federation, and in April 2025, another crashed in the Irkutsk region of the Russian Federation.

In June 2025, the SBU operation "Web" destroyed 12 Tu-22M3 at the Olenya, Belaya, and Dyagilevo airbases.

At the same time, today in the Irkutsk region of the Russian Federation, another Russian long-range supersonic bomber Tu-22M3 crashed for unknown reasons.

"In total, since 2022, 24 Tu-22M3 have been destroyed and damaged. It should be noted that the Tu-22 in any modifications has not been produced by the Russians since 1993, and there are still no plans for replacements in the near future. The supply of spare parts for them is extremely limited, so even minor damage can lead to the decommissioning of the entire Tu-22M3," the report states.

Analysts have calculated that now a total of 41 Tu-22M3 bombers may remain in service with the Russian Federation. However, a significant portion of them is in an unusable condition, and some have become donors of spare parts for others, but on paper are still considered in service. "If we assume that all Tu-22M3 that were hit on the ground as a result of the operations of the Ukrainian Defense Forces were in working condition, and the damaged machines could not be restored, then at the moment the Russians may have about 9-10 operational bombers of this type. Since 2022, the Russian Federation could have lost more than 70% of all Tu-22M3 in combat-ready condition," the material states.

Earlier, experts noted that the fleet of strategic aviation in the Russian Federation is rapidly shrinking, and currently only 27–30 supersonic Tu-22M3 remain in combat-ready condition.

It was noted that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has lost from 10% to 15% of these aircraft. The occupiers are losing expensive platforms due to the successful actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as due to technical wear and tear.

A significant problem for the Russian Federation has become the upgraded Ukrainian air defense. In particular, it is mentioned how in April 2024, "a Tu-22 was shot down by a modified S-200 missile fired from a distance of 300 kilometers."