According to information published by Associated Press on May 25, 2021, the crews of Tupolev Tu-22M3 long-range bombers performed flights over the eastern Mediterranean Sea after taking off from the Hmeymim airbase in Syria and were escorted by Su-35 fighters, the Defense Ministry of Russia reported.

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Russian Tu-22M3 long-range bomber in Syria (Picture source: Tass)

The Tupolev Tu-22 was the first supersonic bomber to enter production in the Soviet Union. Manufactured by Tupolev, the Tu-22 entered service with the Soviet military in the 1960s, and the last examples were retired during the 1990s. The Tu-22M3 is an improved variant of the basic version of Tu-22. The first fight of Tu-22M3 was in 1976 and entered service in 1983. The Tu-22M was first used in combat in Afghanistan from 1987 to 1989.

The Tu-22M3 long-range bomber is intended to destroy ground and large marine targets (primarily aircraft-carrier task forces) with supersonic air-to-surface missiles in the entire spectrum of application conditions in the operational and tactical depth of enemy defenses, in any season, in standard and adverse weather. It is capable of a relatively prolonged speed dash near the surface of the Earth at an altitude of 40 to 60 m.

Remind that Russia owns the Khmeimim Air Base which is a Syrian airbase currently operated by Russia, located south-east of the city of Latakia in Hmeimim, Latakia Governorate, Syria. The legal status of the base is regulated by a treaty between Russia and Syria signed in August 2015. At the end of 2017, Russia said it had decided to turn the Khmeimim base into a component of its permanent military contingent stationed in Syria.