INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
House of Representatives is gearing up for a crucial weekend vote on a long-stalled $61 billion package of military aid for Kyiv that could
deliver much-needed weapons to Ukrainian soldiers struggling on the front lines.In a boost for their forces, Kyiv said it had downed a
Russian long-range strategic bomber for the first time in an overnight attack."For the first time, anti-aircraft missile units of the air
force, in cooperation with the defense intelligence of Ukraine, destroyed a Tu-22M3 long-range strategic bomber," Ukraine's military said in
a statement on social media.The plane was returning to its base in Russia after having fired missiles at Ukraine earlier in the night, the
main intelligence directorate of Ukraine's defense ministry said.Russian officials said the plane crashed over the southern Stavropol
region, but blamed it on a technical malfunction
It said at least one member of the crew had died."A Russian armed forces Tu-22M3 aircraft crashed in the Stavropol region while returning to
its base aerodrome after performing a combat mission
The pilots ejected," the state-run TASS news agency quoted Russia's defense ministry as saying."According to preliminary data, the cause of
the accident was a technical malfunction," it added.One of the four crew members died in the incident, Stavropol Governor Vladimir
Vladimirov said in a post on Telegram, and two were taken to a local medical center."The search for the fourth pilot is continuing," he
added, posting photos of the burnt-out and mangled fuselage of the plane in a field.The plane crashed in the region's Krasnogvardeysky
directorate of Ukraine's defense ministry said it "was shot down at a distance of about 300 kilometers from Ukraine
As a result of the hit, the bomber was able to fly to the Stavropol area, where it crashed."Ukraine's air force said Friday that Russia had
aerial vehicles were downed as well as 15 missiles.Russian strikes have pummelled towns and cities across Ukraine since the beginning of
Moscow's invasion more than two years ago
A missile attack on the northern city of Chernigiv left 18 dead earlier this week.
