The Tu-95 might just be Russia‘s version of the B-52 bomber: To date, the Kremlin hasn’t deployed its powerful fleet of bombers against targets in Ukraine in any substantive fashion. While the Ukrainian people have already faced untold horrors since Russia launched its unprovoked and unwarranted invasion in February, and Ukraine’s urban centers have been heavily damaged in the fighting, Russia’s bombers still have the potential to level those cities to the ground.
Among the weapon not employed has been the Tupolev Tu-95 (NATO reporting name “Bear”), a large Cold War-era strategic bomber that was first flown in 1952. It is now among the oldest aircraft designs still in service with the Russian military, and the Bear is also the only propeller-powered bomber in service anywhere in the world today. However, despite the age of the platform, it is a highly-capable bomber – and much like the United States Air Force’s B-52 Stratofortress, it has been steadily upgraded and will likely remain in service well into the 2040s or later.
The four-engine propeller plane was developed in the 1950s after Soviet planners had requested a four-engine bomber that could fly five thousand miles and hit targets across the United States. The choice of propeller-driven engines was made due to the fact that jet engines of the time burned through fuel too quickly, and the Soviets lacked the capability to refuel its bombers in flight. The Tu-95 has a range greater than 15,000km (9,300 miles).
The aircraft has four Kuznetsov NK-12 engines with contra-rotating propellers. It is the only propeller-powered strategic bomber still in operational use today. The Tu-95 is one of the loudest military aircraft, particularly because the tips of the propeller blades move faster than the speed of sound. Its distinctive swept-back wings are set at an angle of 35°. The Tu-95 is unique as a propeller-driven aircraft with swept wings that has been built in large numbers.
Though it may have been a turboprop aircraft, the Tu-95 still featured some notable advancements for the 1950s, including its swept-wing design, which helped ensure that the main wing span passed through the fuselage in front of its bomb bay. It also allowed the aircraft to cruise and fly at greater speeds than straight-wing bombers as the 35-degree angle of the swept-back wings provided improved aerodynamics.
The bomber proved to be a symbol of pride for the Soviet Union and regularly made a presence at European Air Shows.
Interestingly, while the bomber was first flown in 1952, and entered service with the Long-Range Aviation branch of the Soviet Armed Forces four years later, the Bear wasn’t actually used in combat until 2015.


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