A Russian Tu-95MS strategic bomber crashed in an uninhabited area of Amur Oblast in the Far East during a training flight, according to Russia's Defence Ministry and state news agencies.
Seven crew members were aboard the aircraft at the time of the crash. Six died in the incident, while one was injured and evacuated to a medical facility for treatment.
The Tu-95 is a large strategic bomber developed during the Soviet era that is capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Russia regularly deploys the aircraft during routine military training exercises. The plane involved in Tuesday's crash was unarmed and conducting a training mission when the accident occurred.
Video footage from the crash site showed flames and smoke rising from the wreckage, with sounds of explosions audible in the background. Emergency services, including fire crews, responded to the scene and conducted firefighting operations.
Russian authorities dispatched investigators to the crash site to determine the circumstances of the incident. The Defence Ministry provided preliminary information on the crash but did not disclose additional details about its cause.
Initial reports from some Ukrainian news sources had misidentified the aircraft as a Tu-154 belonging to an aviation group called "Ukrainka," but these reports were later corrected to identify it as a Tu-95MS.