When Russian Tu-22M3 was shot down, second plane with missiles turned around - DIU.

After the Russian Tu-22MZ bomber was shot down, the second plane following it was forced to turn around.

Andrii Yusov, a representative of the Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, said this on Radio Svoboda, Censor.NET reports.

"A successful operation. An enemy strategic aircraft was destroyed. The first time during a combat mission actually in the air during the period of a full-scale invasion. Destroyed during a combat mission. Another aircraft that was following it was forced to turn around. And this means that a number of missiles were not fired over Ukraine," Yusov said.

Watch more: DIU publishes process of shooting down Tu-22M3: It was destroyed by same means that previously destroyed A-50. VIDEO

He did not specify how exactly the Ukrainian military managed to destroy the Tu-22M3 on the territory of Russia, but he said that it was a certain repetition of the operation to shoot down the A-50 long-range radar tracking aircraft.

"In general, the operation was a certain repetition, taking into account, of course, the operation of the DIU to shoot down the A-50 plane, which took place recently. Yes, the distance this time is even greater. We will remind you that it is about a distance of about 300 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. This is truly a significant operation and a significant result for Ukraine... In fact, the miracle weapon is not used here. These are old known methods, but modified by Ukrainian specialists," Yusov stated.

Read more: Strike on occupied Dzhankoi: 4 S-400 launchers, 3 radars, control point of air defense equipment were destroyed - DIU

He also added that the downing of a strategic bomber could reduce the threat to some Ukrainian regions.

"After the destruction of the A-50 and now, after the destruction of the strategic aviation plane, the intensity of missile attacks in the direction of Odesa Oblast may decrease for a while at least," said the representative of the DIU.

Earlier it was reported that one of the Tu-22m3 strategic bombers, which the occupiers are using to launch missile strikes on Ukraine, crashed in the Stavropol region of the Russian Federation.

Later it became known that for the first time, anti-aircraft missile units of the Air Force in cooperation with the DIU destroyed a Tu-22M3 long-range strategic bomber.