Russian Tu-95 bomber crashes in Amur region during training flight, killing at least six
A Russian Tu-95 strategic bomber crashed during a training flight in the eastern Amur region, killing at least six crew members, Russia's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.
A Russian military Tu-95 strategic bomber has crashed in the eastern region of Amur, killing at least six crew members and leaving one hospitalised, according to Russia’s Ministry of Defence.
Russian state media cited the ministry on Tuesday as saying the aircraft went down during a training flight in an uninhabited area of Amur, a region bordering China. The plane was flying without ammunition, the TASS state-run news agency reported.
Interfax quoted the Russian military as saying an Aerospace Forces commission had been dispatched to the crash site to establish all the circumstances of the incident.
Unverified social media videos purporting to show the crash aftermath showed large amounts of smoke rising from the burning aircraft, Al Jazeera reported, noting the footage could not be independently confirmed.
The Tupolev Tu-95 is a large, Soviet-era bomber that can carry and deliver nuclear weapons. It was first flown in 1952 and introduced into service in 1956, and remains in use by the Russian military in routine exercises.
Aircraft losses are not uncommon in Russia’s Far East. In July last year, an Antonov An-24 crashed in poor weather on its way to the town of Tynda, killing all 48 people on board. In August 2021, a Mil Mi-8 helicopter crashed in the Kamchatka Peninsula with 16 people on board, most of them tourists.
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