Latest news with #TU95
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First Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Ukrainian drone strike damages 10% of Russia's strategic bomber fleet: German official
The United States estimates that Ukraine's audacious drone attack hit as many as 20 Russian warplanes, destroying around 10 of them, according to two US officials read more A satellite image shows destroyed TU 95 aircrafts in the aftermath of a drone strike at the Belaya air base, Irkutsk region, Russia. File image/ Reuters A Ukrainian drone attack last weekend likely damaged around 10% of Russia's strategic bomber fleet and hit some of the aircraft as they were being prepared for strikes on Ukraine, a senior German military official said. 'According to our assessment, more than a dozen aircraft were damaged, TU-95 and TU-22 strategic bombers as well as A-50 surveillance planes,' German Major General Christian Freuding said in a YouTube podcast reviewed by Reuters ahead of its publication later on Saturday. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The affected A-50s, which function similarly to NATO's AWACS planes by providing aerial situational awareness, were likely non-operational when they were hit, said the general who coordinates Berlin's military aid to Kyiv and is in close touch with the Ukrainian defence ministry. 'We believe that they can no longer be used for spare parts. This is a loss, as only a handful of these aircraft exist,' he said. 'As for the long-range bomber fleet, 10% of it has been damaged in the attack according to our assessment.' The United States estimates that Ukraine's audacious drone attack hit as many as 20 Russian warplanes, destroying around 10 of them, two U.S. officials told Reuters, and experts say Moscow will take years to replace the affected planes. Despite the losses, Freuding does not see any immediate reduction of Russian strikes against Ukraine, noting that Moscow still retains 90% of its strategic bombers which can launch ballistic and cruise missiles in addition to dropping bombs. 'But there is, of course, an indirect effect as the remaining planes will need to fly more sorties, meaning they will be worn out faster, and, most importantly, there is a huge psychological impact.' Freuding said Russia had felt safe in its vast territory, which also explained why there was little protection for the aircraft. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'After this successful operation, this no longer holds true. Russia will need to ramp up the security measures.' According to Freuding, Ukraine attacked two air fields around 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Moscow, as well as the Olenya air field in the Murmansk region and the Belaya air field, with drones trained with the help of artificial intelligence. A fifth attack on the Ukrainka air field near the Chinese border failed, he said. The bombers that were hit were part of Russia's so-called nuclear triad which enables nuclear weapons deployment by air, sea and ground, he added.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Ukrainian attack damaged 10% of Russia's strategic bombers, Germany says
FILE PHOTO: A satellite image shows destroyed TU 95 aircrafts in the aftermath of a drone strike at the Belaya air base, Irkutsk region, Russia, June 4, 2025, Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. MANDATORY CREDIT. MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO./File Photo/File Photo BERLIN - A Ukrainian drone attack last weekend likely damaged around 10% of Russia's strategic bomber fleet and hit some of the aircraft as they were being prepared for strikes on Ukraine, a senior German military official said. "According to our assessment, more than a dozen aircraft were damaged, TU-95 and TU-22 strategic bombers as well as A-50 surveillance planes," German Major General Christian Freuding said in a YouTube podcast reviewed by Reuters ahead of its publication later on Saturday. The affected A-50s, which function similarly to NATO's AWACS planes by providing aerial situational awareness, were likely non-operational when they were hit, said the general who coordinates Berlin's military aid to Kyiv and is in close touch with the Ukrainian defence ministry. "We believe that they can no longer be used for spare parts. This is a loss, as only a handful of these aircraft exist," he said. "As for the long-range bomber fleet, 10% of it has been damaged in the attack according to our assessment." The United States estimates that Ukraine's audacious drone attack hit as many as 20 Russian warplanes, destroying around 10 of them, two U.S. officials told Reuters, and experts say Moscow will take years to replace the affected planes. Despite the losses, Freuding does not see any immediate reduction of Russian strikes against Ukraine, noting that Moscow still retains 90% of its strategic bombers which can launch ballistic and cruise missiles in addition to dropping bombs. "But there is, of course, an indirect effect as the remaining planes will need to fly more sorties, meaning they will be worn out faster, and, most importantly, there is a huge psychological impact." Freuding said Russia had felt safe in its vast territory, which also explained why there was little protection for the aircraft. "After this successful operation, this no longer holds true. Russia will need to ramp up the security measures." According to Freuding, Ukraine attacked two air fields around 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Moscow, as well as the Olenya air field in the Murmansk region and the Belaya air field, with drones trained with the help of artificial intelligence. A fifth attack on the Ukrainka air field near the Chinese border failed, he said. The bombers that were hit were part of Russia's so-called nuclear triad which enables nuclear weapons deployment by air, sea and ground, he added. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Ukrainian attack damaged 10% of Russia's strategic bombers, Germany says
FILE PHOTO: A satellite image shows destroyed TU 95 aircrafts in the aftermath of a drone strike at the Belaya air base, Irkutsk region, Russia, June 4, 2025, Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. MANDATORY CREDIT. MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO./File Photo/File Photo BERLIN (Reuters) -A Ukrainian drone attack last weekend likely damaged around 10% of Russia's strategic bomber fleet and hit some of the aircraft as they were being prepared for strikes on Ukraine, a senior German military official said. "According to our assessment, more than a dozen aircraft were damaged, TU-95 and TU-22 strategic bombers as well as A-50 surveillance planes," German Major General Christian Freuding said in a YouTube podcast reviewed by Reuters ahead of its publication later on Saturday. The affected A-50s, which function similarly to NATO's AWACS planes by providing aerial situational awareness, were likely non-operational when they were hit, said the general who coordinates Berlin's military aid to Kyiv and is in close touch with the Ukrainian defence ministry. "We believe that they can no longer be used for spare parts. This is a loss, as only a handful of these aircraft exist," he said. "As for the long-range bomber fleet, 10% of it has been damaged in the attack according to our assessment." The United States estimates that Ukraine's audacious drone attack hit as many as 20 Russian warplanes, destroying around 10 of them, two U.S. officials told Reuters, and experts say Moscow will take years to replace the affected planes. Despite the losses, Freuding does not see any immediate reduction of Russian strikes against Ukraine, noting that Moscow still retains 90% of its strategic bombers which can launch ballistic and cruise missiles in addition to dropping bombs. "But there is, of course, an indirect effect as the remaining planes will need to fly more sorties, meaning they will be worn out faster, and, most importantly, there is a huge psychological impact." Freuding said Russia had felt safe in its vast territory, which also explained why there was little protection for the aircraft. "After this successful operation, this no longer holds true. Russia will need to ramp up the security measures." According to Freuding, Ukraine attacked two air fields around 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Moscow, as well as the Olenya air field in the Murmansk region and the Belaya air field, with drones trained with the help of artificial intelligence. A fifth attack on the Ukrainka air field near the Chinese border failed, he said. The bombers that were hit were part of Russia's so-called nuclear triad which enables nuclear weapons deployment by air, sea and ground, he added. (Reporting by Sabine SieboldEditing by Mark Potter)
RTHK
5 days ago
- Politics
- RTHK
Moscow warns retaliation coming over airbase attacks
Moscow warns retaliation coming over airbase attacks A satellite image shows destroyed TU 95 aircraft in the aftermath of a Ukrainian drone strike at Belaya air base, Irkutsk region. Photo: Reuters Moscow will decide how and when to respond to Ukraine's attacks on its airbases, the Kremlin said on Thursday, confirming that President Vladimir Putin told his US counterpart Donald Trump that Russia would retaliate. Kyiv's weekend strikes on Russian airfields deep inside Russia destroyed nuclear-capable aircraft and infuriated Moscow. "As and when our military deems it appropriate," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked what Moscow's response would be. The planes were parked at air fields deep inside Russian territory, including in Siberia. After a phone call with Putin on Wednesday, Trump said on social media: "President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields." Putin has repeatedly rejected a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine and on Wednesday said that Kyiv would use it to rearm and mobilise. Trump's efforts to end the more than three-year conflict in Ukraine have so far yielded few results. The Kremlin said that Putin and Trump did not agree on a time to meet during their phone conversation but that "there is an understanding that a meeting is necessary." Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called for talks with Putin, but the Russian leader said on Wednesday: "What can we talk about with terrorists?" (AFP)
GMA Network
6 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Russian war bloggers blame military command for stunning Ukrainian attack on bomber fleet
A satellite image shows destroyed TU 95 aircraft in the aftermath of a drone strike at the Belaya air base, Irkutsk region, Russia, June 4, 2025, Maxar Technologies/ Handout via REUTERS LONDON — Russian military analysts are hunting for scapegoats after Ukraine stunned Moscow with weekend drone attacks that destroyed a number of strategic bomber planes, weakening a key component of Russia's nuclear arsenal. Aerospace forces commander-in-chief Viktor Afzalov and former defense minister Sergei Shoigu—now secretary of Russia's Security Council—are among those being publicly singled out for blame. The drone strikes have prompted accusations of negligence, complacency and corruption. How was it possible, commentators are asking, for nuclear-capable aircraft to be left exposed, unprotected by hangars, and for Ukrainian intelligence to smuggle the drones within close reach of air bases and unleash them with devastating effect? Two influential military blogs, Voyenkor Kotenok and Two Majors, said Shoigu had promised as far back as April 2021 to build more than 300 reinforced concrete shelters for aircraft, but this had not happened. Military analyst Vladislav Shurygin condemned the "blatant irresponsibility and negligence" of the aerospace command headed by Afzalov, accusing the top brass of failing to anticipate threats and learn from past mistakes. The Russian defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Another blogger, Roman Alekhin, said the attacks had demonstrated Ukraine's ability to penetrate deep inside Russia with saboteurs. Moscow had underestimated its enemy, he said, comparing the blow to Japan's 1941 attack on the US navy at Pearl Harbor. The heated online debate contrasts with near-silence from the authorities and scant coverage in state media. The Kremlin has said an investigation is underway. President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday condemned what he called terrorist attacks by Ukraine that killed seven people in southern Russia on Sunday, but made no reference to the strikes on the air bases that took place on the same day. Bomber fleet Russia operates two types of nuclear-capable heavy bomber planes—the Tu-160 and Tu-95 MS, which NATO calls the Blackjack and Bear-H, respectively. The Federation of American Scientists, in its annual review of Russian nuclear forces, said last month that it estimates Russia has only about 67 strategic bombers in its active inventory, although there is uncertainty about the numbers. It said Russia had historically housed all its strategic bombers at Engels, in the Volga region, and Ukrainka in the Far East. But in 2022, the first year of the war, it redeployed some bombers from Engels to Belaya in Siberia and Olenya in the northern Murmansk region, apparently assuming they would be less vulnerable there to Ukrainian attack. That assumption was disproved on Sunday, when Belaya and Olenya bore the brunt of the Ukrainian attacks. According to Western and Russian analysts, the aircraft that were hit were Tu-95 MSs and Tu-22 M3s—a type of intermediate-range bomber—though it remains unclear exactly how many were taken out. Satellite images of Belaya, obtained by Reuters and reviewed by military experts, showed at least several strategic bombers there were destroyed or badly damaged. Russian analysts estimated a dozen or more aircraft in total were damaged or destroyed at Belaya and Olenya. To replace them, military blogger Colonel Cassad wrote, it was likely that Russia would have to speed up production of the Tu-160 because it was only making four of those every year. Reuters could not verify that figure. Aviation analyst Alexei Zakharov said even if as many as 15 Tu-95 MSs had been taken out, it would only reduce the number of nuclear cruise missiles that Russia was capable of firing by fewer than 100. He noted that strategic bombers are only part of a much larger nuclear force including ground- and submarine-launched missiles. Even so, he said, Russia had learned a lesson that was "offensive and insulting. The main thing is that the right conclusions are drawn from this lesson." — Reuters
