Kathrine Frich
Losing these specific planes creates a massive headache for the Kremlin.
In modern warfare, extreme distance usually provides a comforting blanket of safety.
High-value military assets get tucked hundreds of miles away from the frontline to keep them out of reach.
But that protective shield is suddenly cracking wide open.
Hitting the untouchable
Ukrainian forces recently destroyed two massive Russian bombers using long-range drone strikes. Satellite images captured the damage at a military airbase deep inside Russian territory during July and August, according to The Daily Beast
The targeted aircraft were Soviet-era Tu-95 bombers, known as the ‘Bear’. For decades, military commanders in Moscow believed these planes were completely safe at the Engels-2 airbase.
The sprawling facility sits far from the Ukrainian border. Yet the recent attacks show that distance no longer guarantees protection against incoming aerial threats.
A dwindling fleet
Losing these specific planes creates a massive headache for the Kremlin. The Tu-95 is one of only two aircraft capable of launching heavy Kh-101 cruise missiles at Ukrainian cities.
They carry huge payloads over thousands of miles. More importantly, they are completely irreplaceable, as Russian factories have not produced a new unit since 1992.
When one burns on the tarmac, it is gone forever. Robert Tollast, a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), told The Telegraph the planes are “obviously really important for Russia’s deep-strike campaign,” which often targets power infrastructure.
“So the fewer Tu-95s Russia has, the fewer of these missiles can be fired with the devastating warheads and the long range,” Tollast added.
Stretching the shield
The damage likely extends beyond the two planes hit this summer. Open-source intelligence group Oryx reports that at least ten of these bombers have faced attacks since early 2022.
Justin Bronk, another senior researcher at RUSI, highlighted the symbolic weight of the strikes.
“They’re part of Russia’s nuclear triad,” Bronk told The Telegraph. “They’ve been used to conduct intensive missile raids against Ukraine for four-and-a-half years. Destroying one, especially at its home base, is a politically poignant thing to do.”
The escalating drone campaign has also forced military leaders to scatter their air defense systems across a massive area. This desperate reshuffling leaves major facilities vulnerable.
“There’s just less dense air defense cover that the Russians can put at any one site than they used to,” Bronk noted. He added that this applies to “Even something as important as Engels.”
Sources: Daily Beast, Oryx, RUSI
