Russian nuclear-capable Tu-95 crashes in Far East, killing six crew members

The bomber went down near Krasnoyarovo shortly after taking off from the Ukrainka air base, which Russia had used to shelter surviving strategic bombers after Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb destroyed or damaged more than 40 aircraft at Russian airfields in June 2025.

A Russian military plane crashed in the far eastern region of Amur on Tuesday, killing six crew members and leaving another injured, the Russian defence ministry said.

The Russian defence ministry said the military aircraft went down in an uninhabited area during a training flight and was not carrying ammunition.

"According to preliminary data, six crew members died, while one was injured and evacuated to a medical facility," the ministry added.

According to the Russian state-affiliated media, the crash occurred near the village of Krasnoyarovo shortly after the bomber took off from the Ukrainka air base.

Authorities have opened a criminal case and an investigative commission from Russia's Aerospace Forces has been flown to the crash site. Initial assessments suggest the aircraft went down because of a technical malfunction.

Unverified videos posted on social media showed what appeared to be flames and smoke rising from the crash site, with booming and crackling sounds in the background.

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