Six crew die as Russian Tu-95 bomber crashes in Far East

A Russian Tu-95MS strategic bomber crashed on September 29, 2026 near Krasnoyarovo village in Amur Oblast shortly after takeoff during a training flight. The Russian Defence Ministry said six crew members were killed and one was hospitalized with severe injuries. It said the bomber was not carrying weapons or ammunition. The crash site was on the Zeya River near the border with China, about 30 km north of Ukrainka air base, also cited as Seryshevo. Local administration said the pilots did all they could to steer the plane away from residential buildings. Investigators from the Russian Aerospace Forces were dispatched to the site. Early reports differed on casualties, with some citing four dead and three injured and others six dead and one injured; the ministry’s figure is six dead and one injured. Unverified social media videos showed the bomber going down followed by flames, smoke, and loud blasts. Preliminary unverified reports suggested a fuel explosion, an engine fire, or a malfunction in three of four engines. No official cause has been announced. The Tu-95 first flew in 1952, entered service in 1956, and can carry up to six cruise missiles. Some of Russia’s Tu-95 fleet were destroyed or damaged in Ukraine’s Spiderweb drone operation in June 2025.