International • 17:59 • Modified at 17:59 Russian nuclear doctrine seriously damaged by Ukrainian attack on strategic bombers Author : BNR Web Editors The Ukrainian drone attack on Russian air bases has not only dented Russia's self-confidence, but also the operational capacity of the air force. The financial damage is also enormous. But where the Ukrainian General Staff initially reported the destruction of 41 aircraft, Andriy Kovalenke of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council says that 'at least 13 Russian aircraft were destroyed'.
During Operation Spiderweb, 117 drones, cleverly hidden in the roofs of wooden houses on trucks, attacked four Russian airfields. According to defense magazine The War Zone, the Ukrainian operation will have a long-term effect on Russian strategic aviation.
Reportedly, the following aircraft types were destroyed or severely damaged: a Tu-22M3 Backfire-C medium-range supersonic bomber, a Tu-95MS Bear-H long-range turboprop bomber, an A-50 Mainstay airborne early warning and control platform, and a Tu-160 Blackjack long-range supersonic bomber. The Tu-160 is considered the "crown jewel of long-range aviation" and is the only Russian bomber still in production, albeit on a very limited scale.
The Russian Defense Ministry has since admitted that drone strikes took place in the Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur regions, and that "several" aircraft caught fire in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions, where the Olenya and Belaya bases are located.
Olenya is located on the Kola Peninsula, south of Murmansk, and is home to several Tu-22M3s. Belaya, near Irkutsk, is also a so-called 'Backfire base'. The air bases of Dyagilevo and Ivanovo were also attacked.
Dyagilevo, in the Ryazan region, is a training center for Russian long-range aviation, while Ivanovo, in the region of the same name, is home to the A-50 airborne early warning and control fleet. These aircraft belong to Russia's only AEW&C squadron and are primarily tasked with air defense and command and control duties. They play a major role in the war against Ukraine.
The Belaya base near Irkutsk near the border with Mongolia. Photo: Google Earth The Belaya base near Irkutsk near the border with Mongolia. Photo: Google Earth In the Amur region of the Russian Far East, there is the Ukrainka air base, where bombers are also stationed. According to unconfirmed reports, that base was also attacked by drones from a truck, but that attack failed. Video footage does show a burning truck near Ukrainka.
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$7 billion in damage According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the damage is estimated at around $7 billion, but since that figure is based on the loss of 41 aircraft, it will be lower, although the exact damage is not quantifiable. The only Russian bomber that can be accurately priced is the Tu-160, of which Russia ordered 10 in 2018 for around $500 million each. This makes the Tu-160 the most expensive Russian aircraft. A Russian aerospace expert told TWZ that he thinks $7 billion is on the low side and that this figure is likely to be another $3.5 billion higher.
Read also Nuclear bombers hit, Ukrainian drones hit target far inside Russia The expert points out that the Tu-160 is the only aircraft currently in production. 'How can you estimate the price of the Tu-95MS, which has not been produced for more than 30 years and has no replacement? Its value to the Russian Air Force cannot be expressed in money.'
Bullet points on Belaya on the northern Kola Peninsula. Photo: X Bullet points on Belaya on the northern Kola Peninsula. Photo: X Irreplaceable The stricken bombers are among Russia’s most prized strategic air assets, but now a substantial portion of that fleet cannot be replaced because the production lines no longer exist. And reactivating other bombers that have long been out of service is also not feasible. Many of the aircraft are severely outdated, have been sitting outside for decades and have often been heavily stripped for parts.
Not only are the affected bombers used in the war in Ukraine (for launching bombs and glide bombs), they are also an integral part of Russia's nuclear deterrent and its ability to carry out nuclear or conventional air strikes on targets outside Ukraine.
The strategic bombers are one of the three legs of the so-called Russian nuclear triad, the strategic concept in which nuclear weapons are launched from intercontinental ballistic missiles, strategic bombs and ballistic missile submarines
These aircraft are also regularly used for long-range patrols over Europe and Asia, including the Alaskan coast, and for irregular visits to strategic allies.
According to TWZ, the attack has 'wiped out' a significant part of Russia's nuclear triad and seriously damaged Russian credibility. Not without danger, according to the magazine, because Moscow has repeatedly stated that attacks on strategic targets would be a red line for Russia. This despite the fact that strategic bombers and critical locations have also been attacked by Ukraine several times in the past.
Russian security Until now, however, attacks on these aircraft have been directed at only one base at a time, using smaller numbers of long-range drones. The Russians responded to these attacks by spreading and rotating aircraft on bases. The air force also took other security measures, such as so-called 'blast walls' between parked 'active' aircraft. In the event of a direct hit, there would be no 'domino effect' of fire or flying shrapnel, and damage would be limited to one hit aircraft.
Hardened aircraft shelters have also been built at various bases to better shield aircraft from drone attacks and other indirect fire. However, the size of the strategic bombers is a considerable handicap.
The Russian air force also uses scrapped aircraft as decoys, places car tires on the tops of planes (to confuse seekers of Ukrainian stand-off weapons), and paints silhouettes of aircraft on concrete surfaces of airfields. Finally, Russia has placed additional air defenses around strategic bases.
Russian measures According to TWZ, it is unclear what measures Russia will now take to better protect its air bases. Russia may switch to an even more dispersed positioning model, something that will severely limit the effectiveness and deployment of bombers for operations in Ukraine. However, because attacks on bases can be initiated from increasingly greater distances, it is becoming increasingly difficult to effectively protect the airfields.
Follow developments in Ukraine in our live blog Live blog | Ukraine attacks Crimean bridge; NATO wants significant reinforcement of European air defenses Russia could protect its bombers under massive hardened aircraft shelters, a measure already being taken for Russian tactical fighter jets at bases closer to Ukraine, according to TWZ.
Regardless, Russia will have to deal with even more advanced drones in the near future, drones that are even more difficult to disrupt and even drones that operate completely autonomously thanks to AI.
Speaking to RadioFreeEurope, a former Ukrainian air force officer described the attack as the "practical collapse of a country's security architecture,"
