Zelenskyy Claims Ukraine Destroyed Russian Tu-95 Strategic Bomber

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed on July 17 (local time) that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has destroyed a Russian Tupolev (Tu)-95 strategic bomber.

President Zelenskyy stated this on X (formerly Twitter), saying, "Once again, a long-range strike against Russia has been successfully carried out."

He explained that the Tu-95 bomber, which has been used to conduct missile attacks against Ukraine, was destroyed in the Engels region of Russia, located approximately 800 km from the Ukrainian border.

The Tu-95, a long-range bomber powered by propeller engines, is capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

The Russian military airfield located in Engels, in the Saratov Oblast of southern Russia, has been a target of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks several times during the war.

In June of last year, the Olenya base in northwestern Russia, located about 2,000 km from the Ukrainian border, was also attacked, resulting in the destruction of aircraft including Tu-95s.

President Zelenskyy emphasized that the Ukrainian military also struck Russian oil facilities and targets within occupied territories, adding, "The cost of Russia's aggression is becoming increasingly higher."

(Photo: Provided by the Russian Ministry of Defense, AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.