In a massive military escalation, one of Vladimir Putin’s nuclear aircraft was discovered flying dangerously near to the Ukrainian border.
The TU-160 strategic bomber was spotted flying over Western Russia as the Kremlin faces mounting criticism over the sinking of the Moskva flagship in the Black Sea.
Four planes were seen on video today over the Kaluga area, between Moscow and the Ukrainian border, one of which was carrying nuclear weapons.
The mission’s purpose has not yet been confirmed by Moscow’s Defense Ministry.
Larger Tu-95s have been deployed to hit sites in Ukraine with non-nuclear weaponry, including air-launched cruise missiles like the Kh-55 and Kh-101.
Russia’s most recent assaults have targeted large cities like as Kyiv and Lviv.
More footage emerged on Saturday of a Tu-95 mission over the Smolensk area, also in western Russia.
The Tu-95, a super-loud strategic bomber that first flew 70 years ago, is the only propeller-powered strategic bomber still in regular service today.
Putin has used Tu-95s to buzz Britain during times of heightened tension, such as when the Royal Air Force rushed Typhoon fighters to escort two Bears off the coast of northern Scotland in February this year.
