On Christmas Day, Moscow sent strategic bombers to Norwegian Sea
Only two days after Tu-95 strategic bombers took off from Olenya, Kola Peninsula, as part of a massive terror raid against Ukraine, similar aircraft from the same base set off towards the Norwegian Sea.
There was no proper ground deicing of the Tu-95 strategic bomber that took off from the Olenya air base in the Kola Peninsula this week. A video posted by the Russian armed forces shows the large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber taking off with snow on its wings and body.
On December 23, bombers from the same airbase had taken part in raids against Ukraine. Two days later, on December 25, the aircraft chose a northern trajectory.
In the former operation, the aircraft carried cruise missiles. In the latter, there were apparently no missiles on board. But the external suspension for the missiles were visible under the wings.
A video from the Russian war ministry shows a Tu-95 bomber, named Bear in NATO language, taking off from the Olenya airbase in the Kola Peninsula and flying towards the Norwegian Sea. Reportedly, there was more than one bomber taking part in the operation.
Reportedly, the Tu-95 strategic bombers flew more than 7 hours through the Barents Sea and to the Norwegian Sea. Allegedly, the flight was part of a planned operation and was made over “neutral waters.”
The video shows that the bombers were refueled in the air by a tanker aircraft.
The bombers were accompanied by several of the Northern Fleet’s Su-33 fighter jets, the Russian Defence Ministry reports.
According to the Russian ministry, at certain stages of the flight the bombers were accompanied by fighter jets from foreign countries.
The Norwegian Air Force has not issued any official information about the Russian aircraft.
It is not clear how many aircraft that took part in the operation. According to Russia's war ministry, there were more than one bomber in the air. The operation came only two days after aircraft from the same air force division took off from the same airbase to engage in a major bombing raid against Ukraine.
According to Ukrainian military authorities, aircraft from four Russian airbases, among them the Olenya, took part in the massive attack aimed at Ukrainian cities and infrastructure on December 23.
In the course of Russia’s almost four years of full-scale war of aggression, bombers based in Olenya have repeatedly carried out terror raids against Ukraine.
The airbase in the Kola Peninsula has become a key target for Ukrainian retaliation. Ukrainian drones have several times targeted the base. In the spectacular Operation Spiderweb, the Ukrainians succeeded in destroying several strategic bombers in Olenya, as well as in other Russian strategic airbases.
