A SUSPECTED Ukrainian drone attack deep inside Russian territory destroyed one of Putin's prized Tu-22 nuclear bombers.
New footage from the aftermath of the daring strike on Soltsy airbase in the Novgorod region appears to show the long-range supersonic missile carrier explode into a fireball.
Russian sources yesterday admitted that the drone strike "damaged" the strategic aircraft, but new footage reveals the warplane engulfed by a devastating inferno.
The attack at the military airport in the Novgorod Oblast – more than 500 miles from Ukraine – was reportedly led by a "helicopter style" kamikaze drone.
The Russian defence ministry stated: “The Kyiv regime carried out a terrorist attack using a copter-type UAV on a military airfield in Novgorod region."
"As a result of the terrorist attack on the territory of the airfield, a fire broke out in the aircraft parking lot, which was promptly eliminated by fire brigades.
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"One plane was damaged, but there were no casualties as a result of the terrorist attack."
A Ukrainian Telegram channel countered this claim and said that two Tu-22M3 supersonic bombers were badly damaged during the strike.
The Institute for the Study of War cited a Russian insider source who also claimed that the fire damaged at least two aircraft.
Russian media sources state that at least six Tu-22M3s have been relocated to the faraway Olenya air base on the Kola Peninsula following the strike.
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The Soltsy airfield is known as a base for the Tu-22M3 bombers which have been used to target Ukraine.
The Tupolev Tu-22M3 was deployed for the first time by Russia in its war in Ukraine during the "carpet-bombing" of Mariupol.
They are reported to have 60 of the terrifying aircrafts in operation.
It has an operational range of nearly 7,000km, which puts all of Europe and the east coast of the United States within its scope.
These Soviet-designed general-purpose air-dropped bombs with a high-explosive warhead are old but devastating in their indiscriminate damage.
The Tu22M can also carry Kh-15 nuclear or anti-radar missiles, as well as Kh-22 long-range naval strike missiles.
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