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May 29, 2025
Ukraine Open Thread 2025-117
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But it‘s a different picture when it comes to their strategic bomber fleet. They don‘t build them very quickly.
Posted by: NoName | Jun 1 2025 12:11 utc | 312
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Those airplanes were fully amortized at the turn of the century. First flown in 1952.
Shortfalls will be answered with improvements.
Posted by: too scents | Jun 1 2025 12:24 utc | 301
Russian deep strike capability is effectively crippled. 40 tupolev bombers up in flames in Russian airbase.
Posted by: Fit Rice | Jun 1 2025 11:43 utc | 298
They have between 50 and 60 Tu-22, nearly 50 Tu-95 and about 20 Tu-160.
If really 40 are destroyed or damaged beyond repair is to be seen. I wouldn‘t say „crippled“ but if these videos are not some kind of AI-shit it is a very serious attack.
Will be interesting to see how Russia reacts.
Posted by: NoName | Jun 1 2025 11:55 utc | 305
Time to force nato to say ukraine went rogue and is being dumped
Otherwise it’s a clear 18/19.c
18. The Russian Federation reserves the right to employ nuclear weapons in response to the employment of nuclear and (or) other types of weapons of mass destruction against itself and (or) its allies, as well as in the event of aggression against the Russian Federation and (or) the Republic of Belarus as participants in the Union State with the employment of conventional weapons, which creates a critical threat to their sovereignty and (or) territorial integrity.
19. The conditions that enable the possibility of nuclear weapons employment by the Russian Federation are as follows:
c) actions by an adversary affecting elements of critically important state or military infrastructure of the Russian Federation, the disablement of which would disrupt response actions by nuclear forces;
BTW the long-range aviation military base “Belaya,” located in the Irkutsk region, near the city of Usolye-Sibirskoye is as deep as it gets, it should have a more than 3.000 kms radius buffer
Posted by: Newbie | Jun 1 2025 12:29 utc | 302
What would we do without the one-man show. Bless you vargas.
Posted by: bonless | Jun 1 2025 12:37 utc | 303
** We have more **
There were 55 Tu-95MS in service in 2020, plus an unknown number in storage. The Bears are very precious aircraft with enormous strategic importance for Russia. Reactivation of mothballed aircraft takes time (months or years) but they will eventually be replaced.
The lost of several bears at once is no small event but it’s not a catastrophe. This will have zero effect on Russian operational capability in the SMO.
The number of bombers used in any given strike on Ukraine is never more than half a dozen or so planes.
The SBU and Zelensky have scored a propaganda win, but this will not help them on the battlefield. Russia can and will absorb this loss, and there will be an equal or greater retaliation.
i dont like this thinking. yes, it may not have an impact on the smo part of the equation, but one has to remember that “ukraine” is beeing used to soften up russia for the inevitable nato war of aggression. the nazis will not stop with their intent of “decolonizing” russia. the british are in to deep in their hatred to simply stop.
*if* it is 40 out of the 55 planes in service, then it is a big issue. now with all things ukraine, we need to wait, because we all know the british lies at this point, and they will drum up the propaganda regardless, even if only one was destroyed.
whatever the case, the usage of drones in this manner, simply firing them off from a truck (similar to the whole missiles from cargo container ships) is another issue that will haunt not only military, but also civilian objects. and once again, this is a geographical issue for russia, as everyone has access to it. terrorism from the usual suspects.
and the people in the eu/uk cheer for terrorism. no wonder i had such a hard time understanding why people welcome former isis/alquaide/hts terrorist turned syrian presidend al jolani when asked about what they think about the eu supporting islamic terrorism.
Posted by: Justpassinby | Jun 1 2025 12:38 utc | 304
They still don’t remember their actual nickname. Or its not them. Pathetic.
Posted by: bonless | Jun 1 2025 13:17 utc | 305
Ukraine showing their sincerity about the Istanbul negotiations. Ah, why do I think this will be spun as “Russia doesn’t want to negotiate”?
Posted by: Hunsdon | Jun 1 2025 13:39 utc | 306
BBC are saying Ukraine claim 40 planes damaged or destroyed, which is quite a coup.
Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Jun 1 2025 14:23 utc | 307
I imagine there’ll be a lot of stable door shutting.
https://t.me/mash/64538
“Personnel from the Irkutsk region-local heroes climbed the truck, from which the UAV flew out, and try to throw stones flying up.”
Yes, what do you do when a 30-foot trailer is launching drones? Big strong nets aren’t just lying around, and neither are grenades. Given the explosive payload, these are brave guys.
Posted by: YetAnotherAnon | Jun 1 2025 14:45 utc | 308
Russia already lost the war on a strategic level when they didn’t win in the first year of war. It’s a truism that they control less territory now than they did in June 2022, and I doubt they are actually going to be able to recapture what they lost. They are right now fighting to try and salvage this war and score some kind of face-saving exit. Fundamentally this war is about what Russia feels like it’s right to be a recognised global power, that can dictate terms to countries in it’s ‘sphere of influence’.
Nothing about this war has improved that position, quite the contrary. Even if they end up winning they will end up as the junior partner to China, and locked in confrontation with their formerly greatest trade partners and buyers of their natural gas.
Like what kind of future does Russia see for itself? A permanently militarised society where everyone has to be loyal to Putin and the army and ready to fight neighbours for the sake of Russian greatness? No wonder a million Russians fled the country.
Posted by: Remote Page | Jun 3 2025 9:24 utc | 309