Security measures! Russian army moves Tu-160 bombers as far away as possible from Ukrainian drones

The Russian Aerospace Forces have moved Tu-160 strategic bombers from the "Engels-2" air base, located just 500 kilometers behind the Ukrainian front lines, to one of its easternmost bases, just 500 kilometers from the US state of Alaska, writes Military Watch Magazine, quoted by BTA.

At least two of the aircraft have been spotted at the Anadyr air base, located over 6,600 kilometers from Ukraine. However, the bombers are equipped with Kh-101/102 cruise missiles with a range of 5,000 kilometers, allowing them to engage in precision strikes on targets in Ukrainian territory, as well as throughout Europe, with many estimates suggesting the aircraft have the longest range of any combat aircraft in the world.

The decision to redeploy the bombers follows continued Ukrainian attacks on their main operational base, Engels-2 Air Base, including a successful strike on June 6 that resulted in a major fire.

This attack came five days after coordinated drone operations in which fleets of AI-controlled aircraft penetrated deep into Russia and struck bomber bases across the country, inflicting heavy losses on fleets of Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 bombers.

It is still unclear which part of the fleet The Tu-160 has been redeployed to the Anadyr air base, nor to what extent Ukrainian attacks on facilities further west influenced the decision.

The bombers are often deployed to bases across Russia for peacetime exercises and displays of force, although the timing of the latest deployment has fueled speculation that it may be at least partly a response to ensuring the security of the aircraft.

The "Engels-2" air base has been successfully attacked several times by Ukrainian forces, although never with the confirmed destruction of bombers based there.

On 8 January, a Ukrainian long-range drone successfully attacked the "Kombinat Kristal" fuel depot near the facility, with the attack reportedly destroying supplies of high-quality T-8V specialized aviation fuel used by the Tu-160 fleet.

Subsequently, on March 20, a drone attack caused a large explosion at the facility. These strikes are far from unprecedented, with three attacks on the "Engels-2" being carried out in December 2022 alone.

The Tu-160 is by far the most expensive combat aircraft in the Russian armed forces, and since 2015 received significant investment from the Ministry of Defense to resume production.

The cessation of production after the collapse of the USSR, the subsequent destruction of many of the aircraft inherited by Ukraine due to Western pressure in the 1990s, and subsequent crashes in Russia mean that only 16 Soviet Tu-160s are in service, a far cry from the fleet of 70 aircraft that the Russian Aerospace Forces plan to put into service. In January 2023. it was reported that production will undergo a significant expansion after the first new Tu-160M bomber makes its maiden flight in January 2022.

The heavy losses of the Tu-95MS strategic bomber fleet as a result of the Ukrainian attacks on June 1 have only heightened the urgency of both preserving the newer Tu-160 fleet and ensuring the smooth entry into service of the 54 planned new aircraft. Deliveries could be further expanded if the PAK DA next-generation bomber program, already well behind schedule, faces further delays or cancellations.