Ukraine quietly destroys Russia's essential weapon; Putin's fleet of strategic bombers runs out
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Ukraine is methodically reducing Russia's fleet of strategic bombers , which Moscow is no longer able to fully restore. This is reported by The Telegraph , which analyzes the recent strikes on the Engels-2 airbase in the Saratov region and their potential consequences for Russia's long-range strikes and nuclear potential.
In late August, a Ukrainian drone flew approximately 800 kilometers into Russian territory and attacked a Tu-95 strategic bomber at the Engels-2 airbase. The impact tore off part of the aircraft's right wing. Satellite images taken shortly after the attack showed serious damage to another Tu-95. As the publication notes, Russia has not produced new aircraft of this type since 1992, so the losses are effectively irreversible.
This was the second attack on Engels-2 in approximately six weeks. In July, another Tu-95 was damaged, completely severing its tail section from the fuselage. Analysts believe it is unlikely that either aircraft will return to service. Meanwhile, Russia lost some similar aircraft back in 2025 during Ukraine's Operation Spider's Web. The Tu-95, along with the newer Tu-160, is one of two Russian aircraft capable of launching long-range Kh-101 cruise missiles against Ukrainian cities. This, the publication explains, is why these aircraft are so important, despite their age and technical obsolescence.
According to The Telegraph, for the August strike, Ukraine used a MICH-2000 drone with a range of approximately 2,000 km. This was more than sufficient for a direct flight to Engels-2. This allowed the drone to navigate a route around known Russian air defense concentrations, using the terrain to reduce the risk of detection.
However, the author of the publication notes that the attack's success is not solely due to the specifics of the airbase itself. Russia's air defense system is forced to simultaneously cover an increasing number of facilities across the country, from oil refineries to warehouses.
According to estimates by the British think tank RUSI, only about 20-30 Tu-95s, or possibly even fewer, may remain in service in Russia. An additional problem is the difficulty of maintaining the aircraft, whose design dates back to the 1950s.
At the same time, the significance of each loss increases, as these aircraft carry the Kh-101 missile. This weapon has a range of over 3,000 km and a warhead weighing approximately 400 kg. According to RUSI researcher Robert Tollust, the Tu-95s play a particularly important role in Russian strikes against Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
"Therefore, the fewer Tu-95s Russia has, the fewer missiles with destructive warheads and long range it can launch," the expert explained.
The Telegraph compares Ukraine's current tactics to Operation Spiderweb in 2025, but calls the strikes on Engels-2 a quieter, slower campaign. Its logic lies in the gradual reduction of a fleet that Moscow is effectively incapable of rebuilding.
The consequences could extend beyond the war against Ukraine. Russia also uses Tu-95s for demonstration flights near NATO airspace. The reduction in the number of these aircraft, the publication writes, is gradually limiting Moscow's ability to simultaneously carry out large-scale long-range strikes and maintain the aircraft as a component of its nuclear deterrent. As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult for Russia to balance the use of bombers against Ukraine now with their preservation for a potential future confrontation with NATO.
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