Russia revives strategic air war: Tu‑160s strike Ukraine again

On Sunday, November 17, Russia conducted a massive attack on Ukraine using strategic Tu-160 bombers. According to Defense Express, this was the first instance in 550 days. Seven Tu-160 bombers and 16 Tu-95MS bombers participated in the attack, launching about 80 Kh-555 and Kh-101 missiles.

The last time Russia used the Tu-160s to attack Ukraine was on May 18, 2023. At that time, two of these aircraft and eight Tu-95MS launched 22 Kh-101/Kh-555 missiles. Since then, Tu-160s have been used sporadically due to their limited availability.

In 2024, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported only two flights of Tu-160s during the "Ocean-2024" exercises in September and February. In total, only four flights of these bombers were recorded in 2024.

Russia is trying to conserve Tu-160 resources, the number of which is limited. The Russian Air Force has about 15 of these bombers, but not all are fully operational. Some are being upgraded to the Tu-160M version.

During the attack on November 17, Russia used 23 strategic bombers. When fully loaded, seven Tu-160s could launch 84 missiles, and 16 Tu-95MS could launch between 96 to 128. However, only about 80 missiles were launched, suggesting that the aircraft were not fully loaded, which may indicate an attempt to conserve resources.

The supersonic Tu-160 bomber, also known as Blackjack in NATO code and "White Swan" due to its distinctive appearance, is a unique military machine with variable-geometry wings. The Tu-160s are considered the heaviest bombers of this type in the world.

Although production of these aircraft officially ended in 1994, they remain in use by the armed forces. This powerful aircraft measures about 55 meters in length, has a height of over 13 meters, and has a wingspan of 36 meters. The Tu-160 can carry a payload of 28,122 kilograms and move at a maximum speed of up to 2,207 kilometers per hour.