Russia has grounded all its Tu-95 strategic bombers after one Bear skidded off runway and caught fire

Moscow has grounded its nuclear-capable bombers after a deadly incident in eastern Russia.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has suspended all the Tu-95 Bear bomber flights after a strategic bomber suffered an incident in Russia’s Far East.

“The Tu-95 ran over the runway during acceleration. There was no ammunition onboard. According to preliminary information, engine fire was the cause behind the accident,” Russia’s MoD said according to a report posted by Interfax news agency.

Five crew members were aboard the Bear bomber that skidded off the runway and caught fire at Ukrainka airfield: one crew member was killed and another seriously injured following the incident.

As a consequence, the Russian MoD has ground the Tu-95 fleet pending investigation: this was the second incident involving a Bear bomber in two years. In 2013, a Bear was damaged after fire started behind the cockpit while the aircraft was taxing down the runway preparing for departure.

The Tu-95 is a +60-year old Russian four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. The aircraft is often intercepted by U.S. and NATO planes during routine long-range missions across the world.

 Image credit: Aktug Ates/Wikipedia

 

About David Cenciotti
David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.

4 Comments

  1. Patton was never a 5-star general. The highest rank he reached was General (4-star.) General Patton argued for rearming the Germans to fight the Soviets, a solution that was both unpalatable and impractical as the American public had little appetite for another war.

  2. Looks like the Tu-95MS Bear H have resumed flying as of the 30th June. The Morse Code ground control station has resumed beacon markers. When the Tu-95MS Bear H are flying the ground control station transmits beacon markers on the hour and every twenty minutes for two minutes. I noted W beacon markers active at 0600 UTC this morning on the usual Summer frequency of 8895 Kilohertz.

  3. Soviet times are really not that long ago… have you been to these countries recently?
    There isn’t exactly a booming economy, so it has taken a long time to recover from the plunder of the Soviets. Coupled with the fact that every citizen (original Baltic citizen, not Russian that emigrated there) knows of a person who was deported. This isn’t exactly that easy to forget. East Germany had it easy in comparison.

  4. Oppressed in what Baltic country?

    The only thing that happened is that the minority Russians are no longer the top of the food chain. If that is considered oppression, then I understand your point, but please don’t call it oppression.

    Leave Russia and see what the oppression is like.

    Considering what unjust things happened to the Baltics during the Soviet times (including trying to wipe out their national existance), it should be applauded that they are so respectful and still are to Russians.

    People in the Baltics know who their neighbour is (and his power) and don’t wish to annoy him. It’s just the neighbour is just blind to their existence.

    p.s. ask the Russians who live in the Baltics if they want to be part of a civil war to become part of the glorious federation… you might be surprised what they tell you.

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