Russian Tu-95 Strategic Bomber Repair Hub Reportedly Targeted in Taganrog Missile Strike

A missile attack struck the Russian city of Taganrog overnight on September 15, with preliminary reports indicating that the Beriev aviation complex, a key facility involved in repairing and modernizing Russia’s Tu-95 strategic bombers, may have been among the targets.

Rostov region governor Yuri Slyusar confirmed what he described as a large-scale missile attack on the city. According to his statement, the strike damaged agricultural warehouses, an Ozon logistics warehouse, a commercial building, a grocery store, a gas pipeline, several residential buildings, and an educational facility. Several fires were also reported.

According to Supernova+ and other monitoring channels on September 15, explosions and smoke were reported near the Beriev Taganrog Aviation Scientific and Technical Complex. The channels also reported that Russian military aircraft were undergoing repairs at the facility at the time of the attack.

The exact extent of any damage to the aviation complex has not yet been independently confirmed.

The Beriev plant is one of Russia’s major military aviation maintenance facilities and has been involved in repairing and modernizing Tu-95MS strategic bombers, aircraft used by Russia to launch long-range cruise missiles against Ukraine.

Defense Express previously reported that documents leaked in 2025 revealed a contract worth approximately $200 million for the repair of three Tu-95MS bombers at the Taganrog facility. The work was valued at roughly $66 million per aircraft.

According to Defense Express, the nature of the work indicated that the aircraft could have been undergoing modernization toward the Tu-95MSM configuration, which includes upgrades allowing the bombers to carry additional Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles.

The Beriev complex also repairs and modernizes other Russian military aircraft and operates its own Taganrog-Yuzhny airfield. The city is also home to the Taganrog-Central military airfield and the 325th Aircraft Repair Plant, making it an important aviation maintenance hub for the Russian military.

The Beriev facility has been targeted previously. In November 2025, Ukrainian forces struck military-industrial facilities in Taganrog. Ukraine’s General Staff later reported that an experimental A-60 aircraft may have been destroyed during the attack.

The September 15 strike followed another attack on Taganrog several days earlier, when fires were reported near aviation and industrial facilities in the city.

Earlier, satellite imagery confirmed significant damage to Russia’s Volgogradpromproekt chemical plant after a Ukrainian FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile strike. The facility supplies materials used in Russian weapons production, including components linked to Iskander-M, Kinzhal, Kalibr, Grad, Smerch, and Tornado-S systems.

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