russian airfield strike: Defense Express reveals what planes russia lost
The russian army currently has 60 Tu-95MS strategic bombers, of which more than 20 are now in working order. Therefore, damage to two such aircraft is a significant result, Defense Express reports.
Journalist, military expert, and director of the information and consulting company Defense Express Serhii Zhurets said that russia was not producing new strategic bombers.
The expert stressed that it was the Tu-95MS that the russian invaders were actively using to launch missile strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure.
Photo: MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES
The Engels airfield is the base for two aviation regiments of military aircraft of the russian federation.
"Later, there was information that the explosions also occurred at the Diaghilevo military airfield. This airport is also used for missile attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure facilities. According to the official version, a fuel truck exploded there," Zhurets said.
Photo: Map screenshot
The journalist also emphasized that "Engels" and "Diaghilevo" are the only military airfields of the russian federation that provide full service for bombers attacking Ukraine. Therefore, it is clear that these objects are significant to the enemy.
In addition, the expert emphasized that we are talking about a more than 600 km distance from the russian-Ukrainian state border in both cases.
"It seems that the Ukrainian Armed Forces do not have such long-range weapons. However, there is one but," the journalist wrote.
He recalled that on August 9, nine enemy planes were destroyed near Novofedorivka (Crimea) at the Saky airfield of the occupiers.
At that time, the distance from the front to this air base was more than 200 km. Later, the military leadership of Ukraine admitted that the strikes on military bases in Crimea were the work of Ukraine's Defense Forces.
"Many experts and Western mass media, citing a Ukrainian source, reported that the attack on the Saky was carried out by Soviet weapons but modified already during the russian-Ukrainian war.
It is still too early to discuss what is being discussed. Still, the ability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to reach military targets deep in the territory of the russian federation might have a very symbolic and essential meaning," concluded Zhurets.
Reference
On December 5, russian sources wrote that an "unknown drone" attacked the Engels airfield. The explosion allegedly damaged two Tu-95 missile-carrying bombers and injured two people.
Official russian authorities confirmed the incident (calling it an "attempted" attack) but did not acknowledge their losses.
The head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration, Vitalii Kim, joked that the incident in Engels could be related to the flight tests of a new Ukrainian drone capable of covering a distance of 1,000 km.
Around the same time, an explosion occurred at an airfield in the Ryazan region of the russian federation. The probable cause of the fire is called a gasoline truck that caught fire.
