Live, war in Ukraine: at least one dead and twenty injured after a Russian attack on kyiv

Sergei Riabkov, the Vice Minister of Russian Foreign Affairs, said on Thursday that the Russian bombers were not destroyed during the “spider web” operation. “Russian planes were not destroyed during the attack on Ukraine on 1^er June, but damaged; They will be repaired “ he said to The official Russian agency TASS.

He did not specify a calendar of repairs and it is not immediately clear within what time Russia could repair or replace damaged devices, taking into account the technological complexity, the age of certain planes dating from the Soviet era, and Western sanctions limiting the import of sensitive components.

The fleet of Russian strategic bombers is estimated at 67 aircraft, including 52 TU-95, designated Bear-H by NATO, and 15 Tu-160, called Blackjack, of which around 58 are currently deployed, according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

To this are added 289 non-strategic hunters and bombers, including TU-22, SU-24, SU-34 and MIG-31, still according to the Bulletin. Russia did not specify what types of devices have been damaged, but said that Ukraine had targeted five air bases.

The TU-95 and TU-22 are planes dating from the Soviet era, in service for several decades. The public industrial conglomerate Rostec announced in 2024 that modern and improved versions of the TU-95 are currently in service and that no withdrawal of the aircraft was planned.

The latest model, the TU-95msm, is being developed and made its first test flight in 2020. Rostec specifies that the TU-95msm is a major improvement, increasing the efficiency and lifespan of the device.

The company United Aircraft Corporation, a subsidiary of Rostec which manufactures these planes, indicates that the TU-22M3 has been produced in series since 1978 and was put into service in 1989. Solicited by The Reuters agencyRostec did not immediately respond to a request for comments on specific challenges related to parts supply for these devices.