Ukrainian strike on Olenya base cripples key Russian bombers

The Ukrainian attack on the Olenya base in Russia, located about 1,800 kilometres from the front line, was more significant for the Russians than initially thought. Instead of one, as many as two strategic bombers, Tu-22M3 were damaged. We explain why these machines pose a significant problem for Ukraine.

Ukrainians had previously attacked targets deep inside Russia. Initially, strikes reached up to 1,000 kilometres, and then after crossing this barrier, Ukrainians attacked targets 1,200 kilometres away. For this reason, it was plausible to assume that attacks on even more distant objects were a question of when not if.

Originally, in the attack, one strategic bomber Tu-22M3 was supposed to be damaged, but the latest reports from Jusova, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, indicate a second damaged unit. Their repair will take Russia at least several months, if not longer.

The strategic bomber Tu-22M3, which Russia had 60 units of before the invasion of Ukraine, is among the key means of warfare. They enable Russians to attack Ukraine's critical infrastructure or raze the most powerful Ukrainian field fortifications to the ground.

For this reason, each destruction or serious damage to even a single unit is worth its weight in gold for Ukrainians. So far, Russian losses confirmed by photos included three planes, which, adding the two newest ones, makes five machines. Considering that perhaps only part of the fleet of 60 bombers could fly (maybe even half), the loss of two units is noticeable for Russians.

Tu-22M3 is an upgraded version of the older Tu-22M models, and their significant advantage is the ability to carry up to 24,000 kilograms of armament. Their combat load includes, among others, Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, Kh-22 Raduga supersonic cruise missiles, 18 guided bombs FAB-500 and eight heavy bombs FAB-1500 weighing 1,500 kilograms each, allowing them to hit numerous targets in a single raid.

Additionally, Tu-22M3 bombers are distinguished not only by their ability to carry a significant load of armament but also by a high cruising speed of almost Mach 1.9 (about 2,300 kilometres per hour) and a large operational ceiling reaching approximately 13 kilometres. These features allow them to effectively bomb targets in Ukraine while remaining out of reach of most anti-aircraft systems.

The exception is only some medium-range systems, such as Patriot or SAMP/T, which Ukraine possesses very few. It should be mentioned, however, that Ukrainians once shot down one of these bombers using an obsolete S-200 Vega system.

Another advantage of Tu-22M3 is its impressive operational range, reaching about 7,000 kilometres. This feature allows attacks from Russian territory, significantly complicating their neutralization on the ground using drones compared to Su-34 tactical bombers, which must be closer to the conflict zone. However, as recent experiences show, Tu-22M3 is threatened even almost 2,000 kilometres from the front line.