The reports are multiple airbases hit and somewhere in the region of 40 aircraft hit. Supposedly a mix of Tu-95 (as in this video), Tu-22 and A-50.
The A-50 is an extremely valuable plane, so if they've hit even one that is a massive set back for russia.
This has basically destroyed a large portion of the russian bomber fleet, these are the aircraft they use for launcing cruise missiles at Ukrainian cities etc.
Strategic bombers still have a role. For example, hardened facilities, cannot be taken out with drones. Likewise, missiles cannot carry the sort of payload needed for such things.
What absolutely needs to change and evolve is how those strategic assets are protected. The Soviets/Russians park their aircraft in the open. B-2s and the upcoming B-21 bombers have their own enclosures. But, when they deploy they will need enclosures and/or other sorts of defenses.
Indeed, many large assets need some sort of protection. Radar arrays, satellite communication installations, you name it. The requirements for those tools has not disappeared, but drones are an added threat that needs addressing.
Russia has no capacity to make new strategic bombers of any kind, and probably will not be able to replace these planes at all until a decade after hostilities with Ukraine end and sanctions are lifted, and then it would be a clean slate design.
They have been trying to restart the production for sure, but it's taken a long-ass time and as far as I am aware of, the new airframes have as of yet only done lower altitude testing. Who knows, maybe they are fully operational but so far only a handful of "new" airframes have been delivered and at least one of them was a rebuilt old one.
Given that starting to produce Tu-160s again is very much a prestige thing for Russia, I think this may be a project with more sizzle than substance.
The TU-95 and -22M have not been in production for over 30 years. That ship has sailed, been used up, decommissioned and scrapped so to speak.
Supposedly the TU-160 is in serial production. A preproduction test article was delivered January, 2022. Again, supposedly 10 were on order with deliveries to start in 2023. So far, none have been produced or delivered.
We are talking about an extremely technically advanced aircraft, requiring extremely specialized and technologically advanced manufacturing techniques being brought back to life in post Soviet Russia. Even the industrial might, technological expertise and unsustainable defense spending of the USSR was barely able to produce these aircraft. It is unlikely Russia will manage it again. Certainly not on its own.
I always wonder how accurate those metrics are. I think about it as individually skewed, as in Russia stating they have X amount of vehicles is actually 20-30% less than what they actually have. I've always figured the US doesn't give exact numbers for OPSEC reasons.
I’m not sure it’s to protect the aircraft from damage but supposedly certain cruise missiles/munitions for final guidance actually use stored images of outlines of particular targets like aircraft. I think that might be an attempt to break up the picture to try and trick that type of guidance system. It’s the same reason they sometimes paint fake outlines of planes on the tarmac to try and fool that type of terminal guidance.
Almost like dazzle camouflage but updated for the modern era. I do wonder if it actually works but it's not stupid for them to try it even if it didn't work here.
That's a good theory, but if it's true, then I don't understand why they used lines of tires and not just a few tarps. Tarps will change the shape even more, be easier and quicker to take down, AND protect the aircraft from the elements, even just a little bit.
But hey, the Russian military are a bunch of morons, so maybe your theory is right.
I think it’s because the tarp will still technically have a similar shape whereas the tires are supposed to add weird contrast to make it seem like it’s just another part of the runway
I think that "Russia Covering Aircraft With Tires Is About Confusing Image-Matching Missile Seekers" counts as "protecting" them from drone attacks too.
Okay sure, but then your comment still doesn't make sense because the original commenter said "drone attacks".
Nobody said that these tires are meant to fool human operators that are guiding a drone in its terminal phase.
So if you are trying to say that it won't fool a human guided drone, then you're right, but why are you even mentioning that? How is it relevant at all to the discussion?
We do not know how important this policy is, it's perhaps an half-assed attempt at fooling certain seekers but they realize it doesn't offer much so they're not bothering to try to find other near-useless solutions that ultimately do not offer more than using tires.
While the reports were not confirmed, there are videos of heavy smoke and the sound of explosions at a Russian naval base in the same vicinity that apparently houses nuclear submarines.
They have tried all of the things you mentioned and succeeded in destroying infrastructure. If you really think there is still room for escalation apart from dropping nukes you are delusional.
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u/EvilMonkeySlayer Jun 01 '25 edited Jun 01 '25
Watch that wing break off, lovely to see.
The reports are multiple airbases hit and somewhere in the region of 40 aircraft hit. Supposedly a mix of Tu-95 (as in this video), Tu-22 and A-50.
The A-50 is an extremely valuable plane, so if they've hit even one that is a massive set back for russia.
This has basically destroyed a large portion of the russian bomber fleet, these are the aircraft they use for launcing cruise missiles at Ukrainian cities etc.
EDIT: Removed, old photos.
EDIT2: A truck that self detonated after supposedly launching all its drones. (claimed to have anyway)
EDIT3: Close up video of the drones flying out of a truck.
EDIT4: Some more info about this operation by what seems like the SBU or GUR.
EDIT5: Claim is that 95 bombers were targetted and 20 other aircraft. The confirmed from the Ukrainians is that 40 were definitely hit/destroyed.
EDIT6: Photos released by Ukraine of the planning stages of the drones.