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Leaked Russian Documents Reveal Massive Strategic Bomber Overhaul. Here’s What We Know
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Russia is intensifying efforts to not only maintain but expand its fleet of strategic and long-range bombers, funneling substantial resources into overhauls and modernization, according to a new report by private intelligence firm Dallas on May 20.
The report is based on intercepted internal documentation detailing the status of key aircraft—including the Tu-95MS, Tu-160, and Tu-22M3M—and outlines specific factories involved in overhauls, current production activity, and costs associated with these upgrades.
In March 2025, two major Russian aerospace facilities received contracts for the capital repair of Tu-95MS bombers: the 360th Aircraft Repair Plant in Ryazan and the Taganrog Aviation Scientific and Technical Complex (TANTK).
Both facilities have been regularly engaged in repairing and upgrading the Tu-95MS, with TANTK previously carrying out modernization work to bring the aircraft to the Tu-95MSM standard.
The cost of overhauling these Cold War-era bombers varies by location. In Ryazan, the estimated price for three aircraft was around $131.66 million, while in Taganrog it reached $184.76 million, averaging roughly $52.7 million per aircraft.
The total bill for restoring six Tu-95MS bombers stands at $316.42 million, though the timeline for completing the work remains unclear.
Meanwhile, access to a May 2025 internal itinerary for leadership from aircraft manufacturer Tupolev shed light on ongoing operations at the Kazan Aviation Plant, a major production hub for Russia’s strategic bombers.
Currently, the facility is working on seven Tu-160 bombers, identified by serial numbers 705, 801, 401, 703, 804, 904, and 905. These aircraft are few in number, and the specific identification of each plane under repair suggests close monitoring of the fleet.
Of note, bombers 904 and 905 are new builds, assembled from leftover Soviet-era parts.
The documents indicate that six of Russia’s 18 known operational Tu-160s are undergoing repair or modernization simultaneously. One of them—tail number 705—is already at the flight test station, suggesting it is in the final stages of internal checks or acceptance trials.
The same facility is also upgrading Tu-22M3M bombers, with one aircraft (tail number 8301) confirmed to be at the flight test stage. This suggests that only two Tu-22M3Ms are undergoing modernization at the moment.
The itinerary also references Russia’s next-generation stealth bomber project—PAK DA, designated as “Product 80.”
A 90-minute segment of the meeting was devoted to reviewing work on a static test mock-up of the aircraft, with documents listing the names of division heads involved.
Although Russia approved a preliminary design in 2021, PAK DA has faced repeated delays. Initially expected to begin trials in 2022, the project has been in development since 2009, with no clear timeline for completion even within Russian defense circles.
Earlier, Ukrainian forces successfully destroyed a Russian Tu-22M3 long-range strategic bomber, valued at approximately $100 million, using a drone.
-924c3c302c27387e19f6c44aaeb98745.png "Photo of Maryna Kulakova")