Ukraine gave Russia its last
Nuclear bombers have returned to their homeland
Late on Monday evening, two Ukrainian Tu-160 supersonic strategic bombers landing from the Priluki military airfield landed at the Russian airbase in Engels with a half-hour interval. This was the end to the seven-year epic with Russia’s acquisition of 11 long-range nuclear bombers from Ukraine, on whose territory they remained after the collapse of the USSR.

The command of the Russian Air Force has been trying to return to Russia the strategic bombers that remained in Ukraine after the collapse of the USSR since 1992. The group of combat aircraft that became Ukrainian property represented an impressive force: 40 aircraft, including 19 supersonic Tu-160 in Priluki and 21 turboprop Tu-95MS in Uzin. Moscow was especially interested in the modern Tu-160, since Russia had only six such bombers. But the parties could not agree on the price.
Ukraine has become a hostage to its own situation. Having assumed the status of a nuclear-free power in 1992, Kyiv was supposed to destroy all strategic carriers of nuclear weapons, including Tu-95MS and Tu-160 bombers, by October 2001. For their disposal under the Nunn-Lugar program, it received funds at the rate of $1 million for each aircraft. As a result, at the end of last year, Ukraine had already managed to destroy two Tu-160s.
The situation around Ukrainian bombers changed after the war in Yugoslavia. Then Moscow offered Kyiv a deal: for 8 Tu-160 and 3 Tu-95MS still capable of flying, reduce the Ukrainian debt for Russian gas by $285 million. At the same time, along with the bombers, Ukraine also pledged to transfer to Russia 575 cruise missiles that are in service with these aircraft, and airfield equipment. The agreement on the transfer of bombers was signed in Yalta in October 1999, and on November 2, the corresponding decrees of their governments were signed by Prime Ministers Vladimir Putin and Valery Pustovoitenko. Three days later, the first Tu-160 and Tu-95MS arrived in Engels and entered service with the 37th Strategic Air Army.
Since then, all 11 aircraft have been relocated to the Volga region. A week ago, the first Russian train with 360 cruise missiles and airfield equipment was sent from Ukraine. The second and final train will be sent to Russia at the end of February.
However, the power of Russian strategic aviation will increase not only due to bombers arriving from Ukraine. Thus, in the Kazan Aviation Production Association named after. S. Gorbunov (where the Tu-160 was assembled until serial production ceased in 1992) is undergoing flight tests of the remaining aircraft from then and finally completed at the end of last year (15 flights of varying complexity have already been completed). In the spring he should fly to Engels. In addition to it, there are two more assembled aircraft in Kazan, as well as two unfinished aircraft (the decision was made to dismantle the last, sixth Tu-160 laid down and not completed in Kazan). If the Ministry of Defense manages to finance their completion, then in 2001 the fleet of Russian strategic bombers will be replenished with four more new Tu-160s.
As for Ukraine, of the remaining 27 bombers, one Tu-160 and one Tu-95MS each will join the exhibition of the Poltava Aviation Museum, two more Tu-95MS will be converted into “ecological reconnaissance aircraft” based in Nikolaev, and the rest will be liquidated before October 2001.

IVAN Kommersant-SAFRONOV