#Bomber

While Russia reels from the largest loss of strategic bombers in modern warfare, caused by the Ukrainian operation Spider Web, the United States is accelerating the complete overhaul of its air-based nuclear deterrent, positioning itself as the world’s unmatched aerial strike power.

Russia has begun relocating its fleet of strategic bombers—including the Tu-160, Tu-95MS, and Tu-22M3—to air bases in the Far East following a major Ukrainian drone strike that severely damaged multiple long-range aircraft.

Ukraine’s June 9 deep strike on the Savasleyka airbase in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region has not only damaged valuable Russian aircraft—it may have dealt a serious blow to Moscow’s ability to field MiG-31K jets equipped for Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.

Russia’s overnight missile barrage on Ukraine on June 6, which the Kremlin touted as a retaliatory strike for recent Ukrainian attacks on its strategic aviation assets, appears to have backfired — both militarily and symbolically.