The Tu-95 is a large, nuclear-capable bomber developed during the Soviet era that Russia regularly uses the aircraft for military exercises.
A Russian Tu-95 military aircraft crashed during a training flight in the eastern Amur region on Tuesday, killing six crew members and injuring another, the country’s defence ministry said.
The bomber went down in an uninhabited area, the ministry said, adding that the aircraft was not carrying ammunition at the time of the crash.
“On September 29, a Tu-95 aircraft crashed in the Amur region during a training flight. The aircraft went down in an uninhabited area,” the defence ministry said, according to state-run TASS news agency.
“According to preliminary data, six crew members died, while one was injured and evacuated to a medical facility,” it added.
Unverified videos circulating on social media appeared to show flames and thick smoke rising from the crash site, while booming and crackling sounds could be heard in the background.
HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.