Russian Tu-95MS military bomber crashes, killing all six crew members

The aircraft was reportedly a Tu-95MS strategic bomber from the Ukrainka air base. Russia uses such aircraft to launch Kh-101 cruise missiles at Ukraine.

Military blogger Roman Shrike also reported that the aircraft was a Tu-95MS and posted video showing the moment it crashed. A Russian military blogger who runs the pro-war Telegram channel Voevoda Veshchayet also identified the aircraft as a Tu-95MS, saying three of its engines failed during takeoff. The Exilenova+ Telegram channel reached the same conclusion based on the aircraft’s appearance and the sound of the crash.

Several sources, including the pro-Russian Baza Telegram channel, initially reported that the aircraft was a Tu-154 transport plane belonging to the Ukrainka aviation group and that it crashed near the village of Krasnoyarovo minutes after takeoff.

According to Baza, seven people were on board, including four crew members and three passengers, and the aircraft’s fuel tanks exploded after the crash. The reported death toll later rose to six after two service members died on the way to the hospital. Baza initially cited a fuel explosion on board as the preliminary cause of the crash.