February 12, 2025
Images of Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers covered in car tires mocked on X

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Russian military air bases far from the front lines of the ongoing war in Ukraine are increasingly being targeted in drone attacks – and a number of Kremlin-owned aircraft have been destroyed on the ground. This weekend, the Russian Aerospace Forces apparently adopted a very “low-tech” solution, using old car tires on the wings and fuselage of Cold War-era Tupolev Tu-95 (NATO reporting name “Bear”) strategic bombers. Tires were employed.

Pictures of a plane covered with tires at Engels airfield circulated on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday.

It was met with derision from Ukrainians and little comment from the usually outspoken Russian propagandists.

@Tatarigame_UA posted, “Brace yourselves, because the Russians have once again demonstrated unparalleled innovation. What you are viewing is a satellite image showing a Tu-95 strategic bomber covered with car tires. According to him, this should protect strategic bombers from drones.” , who was reportedly a Ukrainian military officer.

Tatarigame_UA shared additional images, noting that this was not a single incident, and suggested that it was the Kremlin’s attempt to create a “budget-friendly version of the ERA alternative” – a reference to the explosive reactive armor used in anti-tank weapons. employed to counter.

As another user also put it, “So, after his fourth bottle of vodka, the Russian commander suddenly yelled – ‘Let’s use highly flammable car tires to shield the bombers from the drones.’”

@BobbyAlb suggested, “It’s amazing what desperate Russian generals can imagine. Thinking that the rubber tires on top of Russian bombers will make Ukraine’s drones bounce off their targets. Or Putin is a genius, who gives us this.” Makes us think that their nuclear bombers are part of the junkyard.”

The Cold War-era large strategic bomber first flew in 1952, and is one of the oldest aircraft designs still in service with the Russian military. The Tu-95 is the only propeller-driven bomber in service anywhere in the world today. However, despite the platform’s age, it is a highly capable bomber – and like the United States Air Force’s B-52 Stratofortress, it has been continually upgraded and will likely remain in service until the 2040s or beyond.

Armor or camouflage?

This is the latest Russian ad hoc attempt to protect its military vehicles by covering them with readily available materials. Tank crews in Ukraine resorted to welding steel cages over the turret to counter the threat of hovering weapons – also known as “kamikaze drones” – and placing wooden logs on the sides of the tanks.

Although such low-tech solutions have been quite effective with tanks and other armored vehicles, the same cannot be said of simply putting tires on top of bombers. However, it is unclear whether the tires on the bombers were actually fitted to protect the aircraft from an attack, or whether it was being used as a way of concealing the aircraft at night, when most drone strikes took place .

The Russian Navy in Crimea painted its bow and stern Admiral Grigorovich-class warships, as a result of Kiev’s repeated maritime drone attacks on warships in port.

Of course, the fact that photos of camouflaged ships and aircraft are circulating on social media greatly reduces the effectiveness of such efforts to hide these platforms from plain sight!

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