AKIPRESS.COM - The Russian military plane Tu-22M3 crashed in Stavropol region, Russia. One crew member died, two were injured, the search for the fourth pilot continues, Governor Vladimir Vladimirov said, TASS reported.

"We have received clarified data on the accident with the Russian military plane in the Krasnogvardeysky district. We deeply regret that the third crew member died. I express my condolences to his family and friends. The search for the fourth pilot continues," he wrote on his Telegram channel.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, an Aerospace Forces’ Tu-22M3 bomber crashed after completing a combat mission while returning to the airfield in the Stavropol Region. The ministry stressed that there was no ammunition on board and no damage on the ground.

According to preliminary data, the cause of the accident was a technical malfunction. Earlier, Stavropol Region Governor Vladimir Vladimirov said that two pilots of the downed military plane had been taken to regional medical facilities.