Hunt for crew of crashed Tu-95MS bomber in Russian Far East

The plane was on a training exercise and not carrying any missiles, say military sources. 'The crew abandoned the jet,' said the defence ministry in a statement.

'According to preliminary data, after the aircraft commander reported an emergency situation, the flight commander ordered the crew to leave the aircraft on parachutes.

'Pilots aboard another plane flying in that area reported seeing open parachutes of the Tu-95 crew.'

The plane was lost some 80 km from the city of Khabarovsk. 'The jet crashed in a desolate area, there is no damage on the ground,' said the ministry.

Flights of the strategic bombers have been suspended pending a probe. 

The accident was the sixth involving Russian military aircraft this summer, reported news agencies. 

The ministry said the crash was probably caused by a malfunction, although other causes were not ruled out, reported Sputnik News Agency. TASS news agency cited sources saying a failure of the plane's fuel valves led to the failure of all four engines. 

The Tupolev Tu-95 (NATO reporting name Bear) is a four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform in service with the Russian Air Force since 1957.