Latest news with #Anadyr
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Russia moves its $500million planes to a remote base as far away from Ukraine as possible after drone attacks destroyed fleets across different airfields
Russia has hidden two of its most valuable warplanes in a remote airbase just days after a stunning Ukrainian drone strike wreaked havoc on its elite bomber fleet. Satellite images have revealed that the pair of supersonic Tu-160 strategic bombers - each carrying a $500million price tag - have been relocated more than 4,000 miles from the warfront to Anadyr, an isolated Cold War-era airfield nestled on the desolate Chukotka Peninsula. The dramatic retreat comes after Ukraine's spy agency, the SBU, pulled off what has been dubbed Operation Spider's Web on June 1. It was a meticulously choreographed drone blitz that reportedly damaged several of Moscow 's rare strategic bombers - aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons and critical to Russia's long-range strike capability. In a slickly produced video released by the SBU, the daring mission was laid bare. Cheap drones were smuggled into Russia in modified wooden cabins strapped to the backs of lorries, driven by unsuspecting civilians. The drones were reportedly piloted by Ukrainian operatives housed in a building close to an office of Russia's FSB security service and successfully evaded detection in a scathing indictment of Russia's intelligence apparatus. The drones were released near their targets and struck military airfields in a synchronised assault across three time zones, involving a staggering 117 drones. Pictured: Russian Tu-160 strategic bomber takes off for patrol flight over the Arctic Sea at unidentified location in an image taken from video released January 17, 2023 The plan, which had been 18 months in the making and overseen by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, targeted five airfields, but only four were hit. One drone convoy reportedly suffered a premature explosion en route to a site in Russia's Far East. Despite Kremlin denials, military experts believe the damage is severe. Sources inside Ukraine's SBU security service claimed the operation crippled 34 per cent of Russia's long-range strategic bombers, including the nuclear-capable Tu-95s and Tu-22M3s, often used to launch cruise missiles into Ukraine. These planes, however, are no longer manufactured, and so cannot be replaced. Footage showed decimated enemy planes in flames on the runway and Ukrainian security sources claimed to have taken out 41 aircraft worth some £1.5billion. In drone footage, several Russian planes were seen erupting in a blaze as they soared over the Russian aircrafts. As they continued their journey, the drones blasted the planes stationed ahead, sending them into a ball of fire. Separate images revealed the destruction as plumes of black clouds billowed into the sky behind buildings as the attack was carried out. Footage appeared to show black smoke at the scene on the Kola Peninsula following explosions at the secret base. Analysts have said the relocation of the Tu-160s is a clear sign that Moscow fears further precision strikes. Professor Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow for air power at the Royal United Services Institute, told the i newspaper that imagery from the Anadyr base could suggest Moscow was trying to reduce the risk of more drone attacks. But while the American B-52 Stratofortress costs around $94million, the Russian Tu-160 dwarfs that figure at over five times the price. Only 16 Tu-160s are believed to be operational, and the Kremlin has managed to assemble just two new ones since 2022, despite promises of more. Western officials were quick to praise Ukraine's bold strike on June 1. Admiral Pierre Vandier, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, compared the raid to a 'reinvention of the Trojan Horse', with new 'technical and industrial creativity'. Still, Russia is trying to project calm. Deputy Foreign Miister Sergei Ryabkov insisted on Wednesday that the country's nuclear deterrence remains intact and that all damaged bombers 'can and will be restored'. Experts, however, say repairs could take years - if not longer - raising serious questions about Russia's ability to project air power in the coming months. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials claim that Moscow's decision to launch a recent cruise missile attack using a Tu-160, which are normally reserved for only the most strategic missions, signals a potential shortfall in available Tu-95s and Tu-22s. Operation Spiderweb was 18 months in the making and under the control of Vasyl Malyuk, the head of the Ukrainian security service, the SBU. Zelensky also noted its symbolic timing as the operation came exactly 29 years after Ukraine handed over its own strategic bombers to Russia as part of the ill-fated Budapest Memorandum, under which Moscow promised never to attack its neighbour. 'We can say with confidence that this is an absolutely unique operation,' he said in statement on social media, revealing that 117 drones were used to target bombers 'used to fire at our cities.' 'What's most interesting, is that the 'office' of our operation on Russian territory was located directly next to FSB headquarters in one of their regions,' he added. 'In total, 117 drones were used in the operation, with a corresponding number of drone operators involved, and 34 per cent of the strategic cruise missile carriers stationed at air bases were hit. We will continue this work.'
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Russia sends its most valuable planes as far away from Ukraine as possible
Russia has scattered its most valuable warplanes to a remote airbase in the far east of the country, after a surprise Ukrainian drone attack devastated its strategic bomber fleet last Sunday. Two Tupolev Tu-160 planes have been moved 4,000 miles from the front lines to the remote Anadyr airbase, which can only be accessed by air and sea, satellite imagery showed. Located on the desolate Chukotka Peninsula, the airfield is around 410 miles from Alaska and was set up during the Cold War to defend Russia from potential US attacks. The supersonic Tu-160 bombers can carry nuclear weapons and are by far the most expensive in Russia's inventory, with a price tag of around $500 million per unit. By comparison, the B-52 Stratofortress, the mainstay of the US's bomber fleet, has an estimated value of roughly $94 million. In addition to being expensive, Tu-160s are rare. Russia is thought to have only 16 operational airframes, and Ukraine said it damaged some in last Sunday's attacks. Prof Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow for air power at the Royal United Services Institute, told the i newspaper that imagery from the Anadyr base could suggest Moscow was trying to reduce the risk of more drone attacks. Dubbed ' Operation Spider's Web ', the June 1 strikes were the result of 18 months of meticulous planning by Ukraine's security service (SBU), which on Wednesday released a video detailing how the strikes played out. Agents smuggled 'cheap drones' into Russia, 'right under the nose' of the Russian security agency, captions from the video read. These drones were placed inside modified wooden cabins mounted on the back of lorries, then driven to locations near their targets by drivers who were seemingly unaware of their cargo. Once near the airbases, the cabins released the drones to attack aircraft on the bases. 'Everything was planned down to the second,' the video explained. 'It happened simultaneously in three different time zones, involving 117 drones.' 'The SBU's web was to entangle all of Russia,' it said. The SBU planned to attack five airfields, although only four were hit, as drones exploded prematurely while en route to a base in Russia's far east. Admiral Pierre Vandier, Nato's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, lauded the operation, saying it was a reinvention of the 'Trojan horse method', with new 'technical and industrial creativity'. Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's deputy foreign minister, on Wednesday said Moscow's nuclear deterrence 'has not suffered significant damage', and that the affected equipment 'can and will be restored'. Experts, however, said it would take years for Russia to recover from the assault, which Ukrainian officials estimated caused $7 billion worth of damage. Several Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers are believed to have been destroyed in the operation. Kyiv said last week that Russia had used a Tu-160 to launch a cruise strike against Ukraine. It claimed this indicated a shortage of Tu-95s and Tu-22s, as Moscow usually uses these older models for strikes rather than the more expensive and scarce Tu-160. Both the Tu-95 and Tu-22 are no longer produced. Russia does assemble new Tu-160s, however only two are thought to have been completed since 2022. Though the Tu-160 is a Soviet-era design, in 2018 the Russian ministry of defence ordered 10 new airframes at a cost of 160 billion roubles.
