During a massive missile and drone attack against Ukraine on the night of September 2–3, three Russian bombers experienced technical failures and were unable to complete their missions.
Among them was the Tu-160 “Ivan Yarygin”, which failed to launch missiles due to firing system problems, and the Tu-160 “Aleksey Plokhov”, struck by lightning which damaged the cockpit, forcing an immediate return to base.
A third, unidentified aircraft also experienced failures and was unable to take off from Engels Air Base. The causes of this incident have not yet been clarified, raising further doubts about the operational capability of the Russian strategic fleet.
Experts point out that the failures may reflect both wear and tear from intensive use of the bombers and difficulties in the Russian military-industrial sector in keeping the aircraft in optimal condition. In addition, Ukrainian attacks on Russian strategic aircraft, as part of the so-called Operation Spiderweb, may have worsened the shortage of parts and components, compromising fleet maintenance.
Source: Militarnyi | Photo: X @igorsushko | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
Russia: 3 of 6 Tu-160 supersonic bombers failed in their regular terrorist cruise missile strikes on Ukraine:
– 1 failed to take off from Engels Air Base due to a malfunction.
– 1 failed to launch missiles due to a malfunction.
– 1 failed due to a direct lightning strike. 🌩️ pic.twitter.com/GXX0oSUCU7— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) September 3, 2025
