Ukrainian drones target key Russian bomber facility

Ukrainian aviation expert Anatolii Khrapchynskyi, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine, emphasized that the aircraft plants located in Kazan serve as a base for modernizing and repairing Tu-160M and Tu-22M3 bombers. The recent attack by Ukrainian drones aimed to reduce Russia's production capabilities. Experts had already noted the slow pace of producing new machines for Russia's strategic aviation.

As Defense Romania recalls, analysts from the Ukrainian service Defence Express even claimed that Russia is currently unable to build entirely new Tu-160M and Tu-22M3 bombers from scratch. The lack of access to new parts forces it to rely on parts from Soviet-era aircraft that are still in warehouses.

Łukasz Pacholski, an expert from the magazine "Lotnictwo Aviation International," noted in a conversation with WP Tech that attacks on aircraft factories themselves are not a big problem for the Russians. According to him, this is due to a few simple reasons. The production of advanced combat aircraft Tu-160, the modernization of Tu-22, and also the production of multirole aircraft such as the Su-34 boil down to single units.

This production was never developed on a large scale. We're talking about a few bomber units per year, plus a few dozen multirole aircraft, so such strikes primarily have a purely prestigious dimension. The expert explained that they are meant to show Russians that Ukraine is capable of attacking strategic and economic targets.

Remember that since the collapse of the Soviet Union, this part of Russian aviation has been perpetually underfunded. It was a part that always lacked equipment, especially modern aircraft like the Tu-160 bombers. The Russians maintained the potential of strategic aviation partly because, during the Cold War, they produced a significant number of older-generation bombers like the Tu-22 and Tu-95. Additionally, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, they "recovered" some bombers from Ukraine, which handed them over to Russia as part of various settlements, added Łukasz Pacholski.

According to the expert, few Russian aircraft are modern from the Western perspective. Look at examples like Lockheed Martin, which delivered over 1,000 F-35 aircraft over 20 years, and hundreds more are in production. The French delivered over 200 Rafale aircraft, the Eurofighter consortium delivered over 600 Typhoons, and during this time, when we look at Russian equipment deliveries, the numbers are much smaller, he explained. This is why the Russian aviation industry, unlike, for example, the Russian tank industry, has been inefficient for decades in terms of production capabilities known from the West.

If we add to this the fact that after the embargo on the supply of parts and components, the Russians are currently having problems with the production and certification of Russian substitutes, then in some cases, they face a problem they cannot overcome, he concluded.

It's worth recalling that Russian strategic aviation primarily relies on three types of bombers: Tu-160, Tu-95MS, and Tu-22M3. These bombers constitute the core of Russia's nuclear triad and can carry both conventional weapons and nuclear warheads.

The Tu-160, known as the "White Swan, " is the most modern and advanced aircraft in Russian strategic aviation. It's a supersonic bomber with variable-sweep wings that can operate over vast distances without the need for aerial refueling. Thanks to modernizations, including the Tu-160M version, these aircraft have received new avionics, upgraded engines, and the capability to carry hypersonic cruise missiles.

Another pillar of Russian strategic aviation is the Tu-95MS—a legendary turboprop-powered bomber that has been in service since the Cold War. Its distinctive sound from the NK-12 engines and unique silhouette make it easily recognizable. Although the design dates back to the 1950s, thanks to modernizations like integration with modern Ch-101 and Ch-102 cruise missiles, it remains a formidable tool in Russian deterrence strategy.

The Tu-22M3 plays a somewhat different role as a long-range bomber primarily intended for attacks on land and sea targets. Although it is not formally classified as a strategic bomber, it is intensively used in combat operations, as demonstrated in the Syrian conflict. It can carry various armaments, including Ch-32 missiles, which pose a threat to NATO carrier strike groups.