Russian military jet crash leaves two pilots dead

  15 July 2015    Read: 1993
Russian military jet crash leaves two pilots dead
A Russian Tupolev Tu-95 aircraft crash outside of the eastern city of Khabarovsk has left the two pilots dead in the latest of a string of military aircraft accidents.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that the five crew members survived the crash.

"According to reports from the scene, the pilots were killed during landing," said the statement.

The defense ministry had earlier announced that at the time of the incident the plane was on a training flight near Khabarovsk.

The statement added that the crash had caused no damage on the ground.

The ministry added that none of the survivors were in a critical condition, without specifying whether, or to what extent, they had been injured.

The Russia air force has grounded all its Tu-95 strategic bombers until further notice.

"All Tu-95 bombers have been grounded until the circumstances surrounding the latest incident have been elucidated," the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The Tupolev Tu-95 is a massive strategic bomber and missile platform. The aircraft has four turboprop-powered engines. It was first introduced into service about sixty years ago.

Earlier this month, a Sukhoi Su-24 aircraft crashed during a training mission also in the Khabarovsk territory, leaving both pilots dead. Subsequently, the air force suspended all flights with Sukhoi aircraft.

Over the past weeks, the Russian military has reported several incidents with its aircraft, raising concerns about the safety of its pilots and crew members, as well as the aircraft.

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