Ukraine's SSU destroys a second Russian Tu-95 bomber at Engels-2 airbase in six weeks using a $48,000 domestically built drone
Ukraine's security service says it destroyed a Russian Tu-95MS strategic bomber at the Engels-2 airbase in Saratov region, the second one hit there in six weeks. Per Tech Times, Ukrainska Pravda and Defense Express.
Ukraine's Security Service (SSU) Special Operations Center 'Alpha' destroyed a Russian Tu-95MS strategic bomber at the Engels-2 airbase in Russia's Saratov region on August 28, 2026, using a domestically built MICH 2000 attack drone costing about $48,000. It was the second Tu-95MS destroyed at that base in six weeks, after a first strike on July 16 by the same unit and weapon. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the strike. Defense Intelligence of Ukraine assessed Russia's operational Tu-95MS fleet at 38 aircraft as of August 26, down from about 60 at the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022; after the August 28 strike the estimated operational count stands at 37. Tu-95MS production ended in 1993 and no tooling survives to build new aircraft. The bomber is one of only two Russian platforms, alongside the Tu-160, able to carry the Kh-101 cruise missile, which costs an estimated $2-2.4 million per unit; Defense Express reported that surviving aircraft are now loaded with only four Kh-101s instead of their rated capacity of eight due to airframe wear. Sources: Tech Times, Ukrainska Pravda, Defense Express.