3 die in bomber ejection accident in Russia

"On 23 March during the preparations for the Tu-22M3 flight at an airfield in the Kaluga region, the ejection system was accidentally activated. Because the accident happened at too low a height for parachutes to be used, three crew members sustained fatal injuries on landing", the ministry told the press, Sputnik reported.

A source said earlier that the incident occurred while the bomber was on the ground.

The Tu-22M is a supersonic strategic bomber, developed back in the Sixties. At least 63 of them were being used by the Russian Air Force as of 2018.

Testing of the Russian Tu-22M3M bomber