Russia may have lost over 70% of its combat-ready Tu-22M3 long-range bombers since 2022 and now retains only nine to ten operational aircraft, per a Defense Express analysis. The Ukrainian defense outlet published its assessment as another Tu-22M3 crashed on 15 June 2026 in Russia's Irkutsk Oblast. It's the third Tu-22M3 crash in that region since 2022.

The Tu-22M3 serves as one of Russia's primary platforms for Kh-22 and Kh-32 cruise missile strikes against Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure. 

Operation Spiderweb destroyed multiple Tu-22M3 bombers across three airbases

Defense Express attributed the largest single loss of Tu-22M3 bombers to Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) Operation Spiderweb on 1 June 2025, which Ukrainian officials reported destroyed 12 Tu-22M3 aircraft at the Olenya, Belaya, and Dyagilevo airbases.

The Ukrainian assessment forms part of the SBU's broader claim that the operation struck 41 Russian aircraft across multiple bases for approximately $7 billion in damage.

Defense Express counts 24 Tu-22M3 destroyed or damaged from all causes since 2022, including Ukrainian strikes, the April 2024 S-200 air defense shootdown over Stavropol Krai, and three crashes in Russia's Irkutsk Oblast in August 2024, April 2025, and June 2026.

Production halt leaves Russia unable to replace lost Tu-22M3 bombers

The Tu-22M3 is a supersonic bomber capable of carrying conventional and nuclear weapons. Russia halted Tu-22 production, and the modernization program aims to upgrade surviving airframes but has progressed slowly.

The spare parts base for the Tu-22M3 fleet is extremely limited, meaning even apparently minor damage can lead to an aircraft being written off or used as a parts donor for other bombers. The Ukrainian outlet estimated that of the 41 Tu-22M3 nominally on Russian inventory, some are non-operational and serve as parts donors while remaining counted as in-service on paperwork.