Three Russian Officers Linked to Missile Strikes on Ukraine Killed in Tu-95 Crash

Three Russian officers linked by a Ukrainian database to the organization of missile strikes on Ukraine were among eight officers killed when a Tu-95MS strategic bomber crashed in Russia’s Amur Region on Sept. 29, independent Russian outlet Mediazona reported. The bomber crashed near the village of Krasnoyarovo during a training flight from the Ukrainka airbase. Initial reports said six crew members were killed.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Mediazona later verified the identities of all eight people aboard and found that all had served in Russia’s strategic aviation forces. Six were members of the Tu-95MS’ regular crew, while two others may have been aboard as inspectors or passengers. Three of the dead – Maj. Andrei Lobanov, Maj. Andrei Gerasimov and Lt. Col. Fyodor Pavlyukov – are listed by Ukraine’s “Book of Executioners of the Ukrainian People” project as participants in or organizers of Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian territory. The project, launched after Russia’s full-scale invasion, maintains a database of Russian military personnel and other individuals it says are involved in crimes against Ukraine. The information is collected and documented using publicly available data as well as information from Ukrainian law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Mediazona said the three officers’ inclusion in the database links them specifically to Russia’s strategic aviation operations against Ukraine. Other Topics of Interest India Pushing for Bigger Role in Russia-Ukraine Talks India says its mediation efforts now extend beyond diplomacy to Black Sea shipping, grain and energy exports, and possible non-attack arrangements. Most of the eight officers killed in the crash had previously served at the Engels airbase in Russia’s Saratov Region before being transferred to the Ukrainka base in Amur Region, Mediazona reported. The Tu-95MS is one of Russia’s main strategic bombers used to launch long-range cruise missiles against targets across Ukraine. The bombers were also among the key targets in the clandestine Ukrainian operation dubbed “Operation Spiderweb” in June 2025, in which dozens of Tu-95s on tarmacs were hit after Ukraine deployed drones that had been smuggled near airfields disguised as modular houses. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.