Russia’s Tu-95MS Goes Down With Three Officers Linked to Missile Strikes on Ukraine

Three Russian strategic aviation officers linked to missile strikes against Ukraine were among those killed when a Tu-95MS strategic bomber crashed in Russia’s Amur region in late September.

According to Militarnyi on October 4, the officers were identified as Lieutenant Colonel Fedor Pavlyukov and Majors Andrey Gerasimov and Andrey Lobanov. A photograph of the deceased crew was published by Mikhail Piven, head of the Mazanovsky District in the Amur region.

The Tu-95MS crashed near the village of Krasnoyarovo on September 29 during what the Russian Defense Ministry described as a training flight. Russian authorities said six crew members were killed and one person survived with injuries.

Pavlyukov served as deputy commander for flight training with Russia’s 182nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment and previously commanded one of its Tu-95MS squadrons, according to data cited by Militarnyi from the Ukrainian database Book of Executioners. Ukrainian researchers linked him to the preparation and execution of missile strikes against Ukraine.

Gerasimov was a Tu-95MS squadron commander with the 121st Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment, which is associated with Engels-2 airbase in Russia’s Saratov region. According to the same database, he participated in combat sorties and may have been involved in organizing cruise missile launches during strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Lobanov served as deputy commander of a Tu-95MS squadron in Russian military unit 75715. Militarnyi, citing previous reporting by 24 Kanal, said Lobanov commanded a Tu-95MS during a May 29, 2023 combat sortie in which its crew launched six air-launched missiles at Ukrainian critical infrastructure.

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War in Ukraine

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The crash occurred as Russia continued moving Tu-95MS bombers between Engels-2 and Ukrainka airbase in the Amur region following Ukrainian strikes against strategic aviation facilities.

According to Militarnyi, Engels-2 is used to prepare aircraft and load Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles, while the more distant Ukrainka base allows Russia to disperse its strategic aviation fleet. Such deployments can require flights exceeding 12,000 kilometers and lasting close to 24 hours.

The Soviet-designed Tu-95MS remains one of Russia’s primary strategic missile carriers and has been repeatedly used to launch Kh-101 cruise missiles against Ukraine.

Earlier, on October 1, a Russian Mi-8 military helicopter crashed in the Voronezh region, killing all three crew members. The helicopter was reportedly shot down by a Russian Su-35 fighter after being misidentified as a Ukrainian drone during a large-scale drone attack.

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