Russia has said that it has carried out a massive exercise involving 10 aircraft including nuclear-capable bombers that lasted 12 hours and covered 5,600 miles.
The footage purports to show part of the exercise, with one of the aircraft seen being refuelled in midair before it is seen coming in to land.
The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Friday, 7th July, along with a statement claiming: “The crews of Tu-160 strategic bombers landed at a military airfield in Vorkuta as part of long-range aviation exercises.”
The Russian MoD added: “During the tactical flight training of the Russian Aerospace Forces, two Tu-160 strategic bombers successfully landed at the military airfield in Vorkuta, Republic of Komi.
“The crews also practised non-stop flights from their home airfield, performing two aerial refuellings from the IL-78 tanker aircraft en route.
“Throughout the mission, the long-range aviation crews covered a distance of approximately 9,000 kilometres [5,600 miles], with a flight duration of over 12 hours.
“The flight tactical exercise involves more than 10 aircraft, including Tu-160, Tu-95MS, and IL-78. It is being conducted under the supervision of Lieutenant General Sergey Kobylash, a Hero of the Russian Federation and Commander of the Long-Range Aviation.”
Kobylash is quoted as saying: “Despite carrying out combat missions as part of a special military operation, all planned combat training activities are being carried out in full. Starting from July 4, 2023, the flight tactical exercises of the Engels and Amur formations of the Long-Range Aviation have begun.
“As part of these exercises, a pair of Tu-95MS strategic bombers landed at the Anadyr airfield in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, while the Tu-160 strategic bombers landed at the Soviet airfield in the Republic of Komi.”
The statement also said: “During the execution of the assigned tasks, the flight crews practised various scenarios, including combat deployment flights of strike aviation assets against assigned training targets, operating in conditions of simulated enemy air defence countermeasures, and conducting search and rescue operations in the Arctic region.”
We have not been able to independently verify the claims or the footage.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 499th day of the full-scale war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 7th July 2023, Russia had lost about 232,810 personnel, 4,070 tanks, 7,944 armoured combat vehicles, 4,330 artillery units, 658 multiple launch rocket systems, 408 air defence systems, 315 warplanes, 309 helicopters, 3,652 drones, 1,271 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 6,898 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 612 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
At least 10 people have been killed in a Russian missile strike on a residential building in the city of Lviv in western Ukraine.
The youngest victim was reportedly 21 years old, while the oldest was a 95-year-old woman.
The Mayor of the city, Andriy Sadovyi, said that the attack was the biggest so far on civilian areas of the city since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion last year.
The United States is reportedly set to provide Kyiv with cluster munitions as part of a new weapons aid package.
Human Rights Watch has urged the US not to supply the controversial weapons to Ukraine and called on both Moscow and Kyiv to stop using them.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted that the counteroffensive was “not fast” but he added that his country’s forces were making steady progress.
Speaking in Prague as part of a diplomatic effort for Ukraine to join NATO and to be provided with more weapons to fight back against Russia, Zelensky said: “The offensive is not fast, that’s a fact. But nevertheless, we are advancing, not retreating, like Russians.”
He added: “We now have the initiative.”
Zelensky will visit Turkey today, Friday, to discuss the Black Sea grain deal with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Romania is reportedly considering setting up a regional hub to train F-16 fighter jet pilots which it would ultimately make available to its NATO allies.
The authoritarian President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, has said that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Russian mercenary organisation Wagner, has returned to Russia and is in Saint Petersburg.
This is despite a deal with the Kremlin under which Prigozhin had agreed to relocate to Belarus.
