Nine Left: Russia's Tu-22M3 Bomber Fleet Wears Thin
Defense Express estimates Russia has only about 9–10 operational Tu-22M3 bombers from a nominal 41, after heavy losses since 2022 and a new crash in Irkutsk Oblast; production halted in 1993 leaves the fleet irreplaceable, with many aircraft serving as parts donors and many destroyed or damaged by Ukrainian strikes, including 12 at Olenya, Belaya, and Dyagilevo during Operation Spiderweb; the Tu-22M3 remains a primary Kh-22/Kh-32 missile platform.