Six of the seven crew members were killed when the plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Ukrainka Airbase near the village of Krasnoyarovo in Amur Oblast. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated the aircraft was unarmed and on a training mission, while other Russian channels attributed the crash to the simultaneous failure of three engines. One survivor was hospitalized after the impact, which was captured on a surveillance camera.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
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Russia's Flyable Nuclear Bomber Fleet Drops Below 40 After Amur Crash
War22 days ago
The destruction of a Tu-95MS strategic bomber in the Far East has permanently reduced the fleet of aircraft Russia can use for long-range cruise missile strikes on Ukraine. Because Russia no longer produces new Tu-95MS aircraft, every loss is irreplaceable, according to aviation reports. Ukrainian intelligence estimated in late August that up to 38 of these nuclear-capable bombers were operational, a figure that now drops to 37 following the accident.
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