Krasnoyarovo, Russia: A Russian Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bomber crashed during a training flight in Russia’s Far Eastern Amur Region on 29 September 2026, killing six of the seven crew members on board and injuring the seventh, according to Russia’s Defence Ministry.
The Defence Ministry said the aircraft went down in an uninhabited area and was not carrying ammunition. The surviving crew member was evacuated to a medical facility for treatment. The ministry did not identify the crew members or immediately provide a cause for the crash.
The crash occurred near the village of Krasnoyarovo in Mazanovsky District, close to the Zeya River. Regional authorities said the crew made efforts to keep the aircraft away from residential areas before it came down. The Amur regional government said, “The crew did everything possible to steer the aircraft away from residential buildings.”
The aircraft was a Tu-95 strategic bomber, a four-engine turboprop aircraft developed during the Soviet era and operated by Russia’s Long-Range Aviation.
The aircraft was conducting a training-and-practice flight and was flying without ammunition, according to the Defence Ministry. Russian reports said it had departed from the Ukrainka military air base in Amur Region, which is used by Russia’s Long-Range Aviation.
No reliable report has established a destination for the flight. Because authorities described it as a training flight, the available reporting does not provide a confirmed point-to-point route.
Mikhail Piven, head of the Mazanovsky District, also expressed condolences and thanked the crew for their actions. Russian media quoted him as saying, “Thank you and a low bow for the lives of Krasnoyarovo residents saved.”
There were seven crew members aboard the Tu-95. Russia’s Defence Ministry said six died and one was injured and taken to a medical facility. The ministry’s initial statement did not identify any of those crew members by name.
Emergency personnel responded to the crash site after the aircraft went down. Russia’s regional emergency authorities said the fire had been extinguished, while rescuers continued working at the scene. Russian reports also said police and military personnel secured the crash area.
The regional government said, “At the crash site, rescuers are working. The situation is under control.”
A commission from Russia’s Aerospace Forces was dispatched to the crash site to establish the circumstances and cause of the accident. The Defence Ministry’s statement was clear that the aircraft had been operating without ammunition.
The official cause of the crash has not been established. The investigation is expected to establish what caused the aircraft to lose control shortly after departure and whether a technical malfunction contributed to the accident.
