AFAIK, the project was already dead when the mid air happened. In an ICBM era, the bomber was too slow, even at Mach 3.
Killed by the SA-2*. Once the USSR deployed a SAM capable of destroying high flying supersonic aircraft it lost its ability to penetrate their defences - and its role.
(*With a nuke warhead - the Soviet equivalent of Nike**)
(**
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Nike)
Pye Wacket not withstanding….
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pye_Wacket