Russian nuclear-capable bomber plane crashes, killing six people

A Russian military aircraft 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 on Tuesday cited the ministry as saying the Tu-95 plane crashed during a training flight in an uninhabited area of Amur, a region bordering China.

The plane was flying without ammunition, according to the TASS state-run news agency.

Interfax news agency quoted Russia’s military as saying that an Aerospace Forces commission had been dispatched “to the crash site to establish all the circumstances of the incident”.

Unverified social media videos of the purported crash aftermath showed large amounts of smoke rising from the burning aircraft.

The Tupolev Tu-95 is a large, Soviet-era bomber aircraft that can carry, launch and deliver nuclear weapons.

It was first flown in 1952 but was only introduced into service in 1956 and remains in use, often by the Russian military in routine military exercises.

This is not the first time aircraft have gone down in Russia’s Far East. In July last year, an Antonov An-24 plane crashed in poor weather conditions on its way to the town of Tynda, killing all 48 people on board.

In August 2021, a Mil Mi-8 crashed in the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia with 16 people on board, most of whom were tourists.