Seven bombers from Olenya targeted Ukraine in mass missile strike

Seven Tu-95MS long-range bombers took off from Olenya air base south of Murmansk an hour before midnight on Wednesday. A few hours later, the crew of war criminals launched about 30 Kh-101 cruise missiles. Not all were shot down by the Ukrainian forces.

Last night's massive strike was one of the largest since Russia in February 2022 decided to launch a full-scale unprovoked war against its neighbour.

The Ukrainian air force said in Telegram that a total of 623 missiles and drones were shot down. However, 16 missiles and 63 drones hit random targets at 20 locations in the country. 

Of the 30 Kh-101 cruise missiles, 21 were shot down, according to the air force.

Three of the seven Tu-95MS bombers from Olenya flew back north and landed a few minutes before 3 am, according to the open-source community AviVector. Later on Thursday, the three planes were redeployed from Olenya to the Ukrainka air base in Russia's Far East.

The Russian strategic air force seems to be afraid of parking their bombers on the Kola Peninsula for longer periods.

Most of its strategic long-range bombers were redeployed from Olenya air base after the June 1 attack with a swarm of small drones that destroyed four of the Tu-95MS. 

The operation, named SpiderWeb by Ukraine's special forces, came as a big surprise to the military forces on the Kola Peninsula. The distance from the battlefield to the air base inside the Arctic Circle was more than 1,800 kilometres. 

From satellite images during the summer and autumn, the Barents Observer has seen that only a few Tu-95MS bombers have been parked periodically at the Olenya air base. The others have for the most part been redeployed to the Ukrainka air base in the Amur Oblast in the Far East.

Ahead of massive cruise missile attacks on Ukraine, the planes fly north to prepare for bombing campaigns. Often only a day or two in advance.