PCS degradation: Can strategic aviation of the Russian Federation lose combat capability (photo)

In particular, it was argued that by 2027 Russia was forced to "curtail longitudinal aviation" or will permanently lose its component. And every departure of strategic bombers accelerates the degradation process, in other words-soon the air-space forces (PCS) of the Russian Federation will be forced to completely abandon the long-range bombers. However, this version does not correspond to the facts.

According to the Analysts of Defense Express, this message contains a number of significant factual inaccuracies. According to official information of the SBU, during the operation "Spider" was affected 40 aircraft of long -range aviation, which is about 34% of the available fleet. However, this figure covers not only Tu-95MC and TU-22M3, but also A-50 aircraft and other types of aircraft.

Assessments of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) confirm the lesions of 14 bombers, with 7 more are considered damaged. Thus, the aggressor country allegedly left only 16 TU-95MC rocket launchers. At the same time, according to the Air Force of Ukraine and open sources, from June 1 to August 4, 2025, Russian strategic aviation made at least 10 departures from the bases "Engels" and "Deer" in the European part of the Russian Federation.

This indicates the continuation of regular use of Tu-95MC and TU-22M3 for strikes in Ukraine. "That is, there are no special reasons to declare that now the performance of massive rocket strokes in our country in the Russians" hangs "at Far Eastern airfields," the analysts say. In addition, there are no confirmed statements by CSIS or Rusi experts that Russia may stop using strategic bombers by 2027.

Therefore, despite the limited resource of Russian strategic aviation, the abandonment data is nothing more than speculation. On June 1, 2025, Ukraine inflicted an unprecedented blow to the aerodromes of strategic aviation of the Russian Federation. The operation, which was named "spider web" was organized by the SBU and was the result of more than a year and a half of secret training, demonstrating a fundamentally new level of opportunities for Ukrainian special services.

At the same time, four Russian aerodromes were amazed: "White", "Dyagilevo", "Ivanovo" and "Deer" these bases are used to accommodate strategic bombers, including Tu-95, Tu-160 and TU-22M3, as well as airfilling and A-50 aircraft and aircraft. The blow was caused using 117 FPV-pings that were launched from trucks. As a result, some of the aviation received critical damage - recovery either impossible or economically inappropriate. And the enemy's losses exceeded $ 7 billion.

We will remind, after the SBU conducted operation "Web", which destroyed a number of Russian military aircraft, the Russian Federation began active construction of protective structures on air tabies. In the Kursk region, at least 10 fortified bins with soil cover, 12 concrete structures of hopper type without soil coating and 8 hangar buildings were erected. At the end of January, two Russian strategic Tu-160 bombers have made a long patrol flight over neutral waters of the Arctic Ocean.