Ukraine’s Security Service said on Friday, July 17, that a Tu-95 Bomber was destroyed at Engels air base in Russia’s Saratov region after a long-range drone strike. The service said its drones covered about 800 kilometers to reach the target.
Volodymyr Zelensky said SBU forces destroyed a Tu-95 military aircraft in Engels that was used to launch missile strikes against Ukraine. Zelensky called the operation another successful “long-range sanction” and described it as “fair and active defense.”
The SBU said the aircraft suffered critical damage and that its tail section was completely torn off. The service also said the Tu-95 had been regularly used to launch large-scale missile strikes against Ukraine, and it said the operation hit one of the Russian Aerospace Forces’ primary strategic missile carriers.
Engels air base and the Tu-95
The Tu-95 first flew in 1952, and Russia had 45 Tu-95MS bombers and 18 modernized Tu-95MSM aircraft as of 2023. The upgraded Tu-95MSM can carry Kh-101 cruise missiles, while older Tu-95 variants are equipped with Kh-55 and Kh-555 cruise missiles. The Tu-95 can carry up to six cruise missiles on an internal rotary launcher.
That makes the reported loss more than a single airframe problem. If the aircraft is beyond repair, Russia loses not only a bomber but also one platform that can carry missiles used in long-range strikes.
Ukraine’s Security Service said, “The SBU systematically destroys important elements of the Russian war machine. Every strategic bomber eliminated means dozens of missiles that will not be launched at Ukrainian cities, saved Ukrainian lives, and tens of millions of dollars in irreparable losses for the enemy,” and added, “Russia’s strategic aviation can no longer feel safe even at its most remote military airfields.”
Russian authorities had not immediately commented on the claim. That leaves the reported strike in a narrow but important space: Ukraine said the bomber was destroyed, while Russia had not publicly addressed whether Engels air base suffered a loss, damage, or both.
The unanswered issue is whether the Tu-95 was permanently taken out of service and how many operational strategic bombers Russia still has after the strike. For Ukraine, Zelensky’s framing puts the operation inside a broader campaign against aircraft used to launch missile attacks on Ukraine; for Russia, any response will likely hinge on whether the damage is acknowledged and what that means for future sorties from Engels.
