Russia Increases Deployment of Tu-160 Strategic Bombers Near Ukraine’s Borders

Russia has significantly increased the number of its strategic bombers near Ukraine’s borders, focusing on Tu-160 and Tu-95MS aircraft. According to reports from OSINT platform Tracking, these bombers are concentrated on two key airbases in the European part of Russia—Engels in the Saratov region and Olenya in the Murmansk region.

As of November 18, there were 8 Tu-160 bombers at Olenya Airbase and two at Engels-2 Airbase. In total, the number of Tu-95MS and Tu-160 aircraft stationed across these bases, as well as the Dyagilevo Airbase in Ryazan, reached 29.

At Olenya, 12 Tu-95MS and 8 Tu-160 aircraft were recorded. Engels-2 hosted four Tu-95MS and two Tu-160 bombers, while Dyagilevo had three Tu-95MS. This marked a significant rise in the deployment of Tu-160 bombers, particularly after their use in attacks on Ukraine on November 17.

Rare use of Tu-160 bombers in operations

According to Defense Express, on November 17, Russia deployed six Tu-160 bombers to launch Kh-101 missiles as part of a combined large-scale attack. This was the first known operational use of these bombers against Ukraine in 550 days, the previous instance being on May 18, 2023. During that attack, two Tu-160 aircraft, alongside eight Tu-95MS, launched a total of 22 cruise missiles.

Reports indicate that while Tu-160 bombers are capable of carrying a higher payload of cruise missiles, their use has been infrequent. Analysts attribute this to resource conservation, as Russia possesses a limited number of Tu-160 aircraft. Estimates suggest that the fleet consists of approximately 15 operational units, with some undergoing modernization to the Tu-160M standard.

Strategic implications

The increased presence of Tu-160 bombers near Ukraine’s borders underscores a strategic shift. While Tu-95MS aircraft can perform similar operations, the bolstered deployment of Tu-160 bombers raises questions about Russia’s intentions. Analysts note that despite their deployment, there has been no observed movement of these bombers for reloading with Kh-101 missiles.

The November 17 attack involved 23 bombers in total, including 16 Tu-95MS and seven Tu-160 aircraft. While the theoretical maximum payload of these bombers could have resulted in over 200 missile launches, approximately 80 missiles were fired, suggesting an effort to conserve resources.

Russia’s limited use of Tu-160 bombers in recent years may also reflect efforts to preserve these high-value assets. The Kremlin has aimed to increase the fleet to 20 units by completing partially constructed airframes from the Soviet era, although progress remains unclear.