Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that a Tu-95 strategic bomber crashed in the Amur Region during a training flight earlier today.
“The plane crashed in a remote area. According to preliminary data, six crew members were killed, and one was injured and evacuated to a medical facility,” the ministry said.
The Telegram channel Mash, widely believed to be tied to Russia’s security services, was among the sources which had earlier reported that the aircraft was a military Tu-154 that crashed several minutes after takeoff near the village of Krasnoyarovo. Preliminary reports said seven people were on board — four crew members and three passengers. After the crash, the transport aircraft’s fuel tanks exploded and the plane caught fire. In the end, six people lost their lives as a result, including two soldiers who died on the way to the hospital.
The government of the Amur Region later came out with a statement saying the crew steered the plane away from residential areas in order to avoid causing further casualties:
“A Tu-95 military aircraft made an emergency landing near Krasnoyarovo during a training flight. The crew did everything possible to steer the aircraft away from residential buildings,” the statement said.
The Telegram channel Baza reported that the sole survivor was hospitalized with moderate injuries. The channel said the aircraft belonged to the Ukrainka air group and suggested a fuel explosion may have caused the crash. That version of events has not been officially confirmed.
Kremlin-aligned newspaper Kommersant later reported that the crash occurred five minutes after takeoff and that a criminal case had been opened under Article 351 of Russia’s Criminal Code, which covers violations of flight or flight-preparation rules.
On June 15, a Tu-22M3 bomber crashed in the Irkutsk Region while approaching for landing. The Defense Ministry said the aircraft had been on a training flight without weapons and that the crew had ejected. Irkutsk Region governor Igor Kobzev announced that the preliminary cause of the crash was engine failure.
