Ukrainian Drone Strike Destroys Russian Tu-95 Strategic Bomber at Engels-2

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) reported that long-range drones flew roughly 500 miles from Ukrainian territory to strike the Engels-2 airbase in Russia’s Saratov region overnight on July 15-16. The base houses the 184th and 121st Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiments, which operate the Soviet-era Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bomber—a platform that carries up to six cruise missiles and serves as a primary launch vehicle for Russia’s Kh-101 and Kh-555 missiles.

Newsweek

Planet Labs satellite imagery dated July 19 shows the Tu-95MS’s tail section torn off and beyond repair while the aircraft was parked at Engels-2. The imagery was also shared by the satellite-analysis account AviVector, which described the damage as total. According to the SBU, the loss removes one operational missile carrier from Russia’s fleet, which military outlet Army Recognition estimates at 27-34 usable Tu-95 aircraft. The bomber type costs over $26 million each and has a maximum range of 8,000 miles. Oryx, a website that tracks war losses with visual evidence, records that Russia has lost 11 Tu-95MS bombers since the invasion began.

Newsweek

President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the operation as a successful “long-range sanction” against Russia, framing it as a defensive measure that prevents missile launches on Ukrainian cities. The Russian defense ministry has not provided a comment.

Newsweek

In the same week, Ukraine intensified drone attacks on Russian logistics sites linked to the online retailer Wildberries. Video footage showed thick black smoke over a logistics park in St. Petersburg’s Shushary district and another facility in the city’s outskirts, as well as a target in Tver and occupied Crimea. These actions illustrate a broader Ukrainian strategy of striking deep-inside Russian territory.

Newsweek

The destruction of a Tu-95MS reduces Russia’s capacity to launch cruise-missile strikes, potentially saving Ukrainian civilian lives and imposing a multi-million-dollar loss on the Russian military. The incident also signals an expanding Ukrainian long-range strike capability, raising strategic concerns for Russian air-base security and prompting further scrutiny of Russia’s bomber fleet sustainability.

Newsweek