AMUR REGION, RUSSIA — A Russian Aerospace Forces Tu-95MS strategic bomber crashed during a training flight in Russia’s Far Eastern Amur Oblast on September 29, killing six of the seven crew members on board. One crew member was injured and evacuated to a medical facility, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The crash occurred at about 2:05 p.m. local time near the village of Krasnoyarovo in Mazanovsky District. The ministry said the aircraft went down in an uninhabited area and was not carrying ammunition.
Reports from Russian media and local sources said the aircraft was linked to the Ukrainka air base, located about 50 kilometers from the crash site. The base is a major facility for Russia’s long-range aviation in the Far East and hosts Tu-95MS bombers.
Some initial Russian reports incorrectly identified the aircraft as a Tu-154. Later information from the Ministry of Defense and visual evidence from the crash site identified it as a Tu-95. Reports also indicated that the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff.
The aircraft caught fire after the crash, with some unconfirmed reports mentioning a possible fuel-related explosion. Other Russian military aviation channels reported that an engine failure or another mechanical problem may have occurred. The exact cause has not been officially confirmed.
A Russian Aerospace Forces commission has been sent to the crash site to investigate the accident and determine what happened.
The Tu-95MS is a Soviet-designed, four-engine turboprop strategic bomber and missile carrier developed by Tupolev. The type remains in Russian service after modernization and can carry conventional and nuclear-capable cruise missiles. Production of the Tu-95 ended in the early 1990s, but existing aircraft continue to be maintained and upgraded.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has not released the identities of the crew members or provided a precise technical cause for the crash.
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