MOSCOW: Six crew members were killed and another was hospitalized after a Russian nuclear-capable Tu-95MS strategic bomber crashed during a routine training flight in the country's Far Eastern Amur region, the Russian Defense Ministry announced.

According to officials, the four-engine turboprop strategic aircraft went down in an uninhabited, remote area near the village of Krasnoyarovo along the Zeya River, roughly 30 kilometers north of the Ukrainka air base. The military confirmed that the bomber was not carrying any weapons or ammunition at the time of the incident.

Out of the seven crew members on board, six tragically lost their lives, while a lone survivor managed to escape with injuries and was promptly rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. Unverified reports circulating on social media channels suggest the disaster may have been precipitated by an engine fire and subsequent explosion mid-air, though defense authorities have not yet officially confirmed a specific cause.

Footage and images emerging from the vicinity showed thick plumes of black smoke billowing from the wreckage site as emergency response teams worked to contain the flames.

The Russian Aerospace Forces have dispatched a specialized commission to the crash site to retrieve flight data recorders and thoroughly investigate the technical and environmental factors behind the tragic accident. The Tu-95, a staple of Russia's long-range aviation fleet since the Cold War era, remains a critical component of the nation's strategic deterrence infrastructure.