BULLSEYE

Russia’s Supersonic Bomber Blown Up by Ukrainian Drone: Reports

Moscow said an aircraft had merely been “damaged” in the attack.

Ukraine completely destroyed a supersonic Russian bomber over the weekend apparently using a cheap, commercially available drone, according to the BBC. Images posted online appeared to show a Tupolev Tu-22 engulfed in flames at the Soltsy-2 airbase south of St. Petersburg. Moscow’s Defense Ministry said a plane had been “damaged” during an attack involving a “copter-type UAV” on Saturday morning, but a BBC analysis of the online images showing the jet’s destruction found them “to be credible.” Russia has a fleet of around 60 Tu-22s, with modern versions of the bomber capable of flying at Mach 2 (1,430mph) and carrying over 26 tons of weapons. Ukrainian prosecutors say a missile launched from a Russian Tu-22 was responsible for the deaths of 30 people when it slammed into an apartment building in Dnipro in January, specifically blaming Russia’s 52nd Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment—which is based at Soltsy-2.