The iconic Russian long-range nuclear bomber was destroyed by a Ukrainian drone, media reports. Images published on social networks and analyzed by the BBC Verify service show a Tupolev Tu-22 on fire at the Soltsi-2 air base south of St. Petersburg, News.ro writes.

The Tu-22 can fly at twice the speed of sound and is widely used by Russia to attack cities in Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday that the “helicopter drone” attack took place around 10:00 a.m. Moscow time and was aimed at a military airfield in Russia’s Novgorod region, causing a fire and damage to the fighter jet. However, the ministry said that no one was injured and that the fire was extinguished quickly. “The drone was detected by the airfield’s observation post and was hit by a small-caliber weapon,” the agency said, while Ukraine did not comment.

The Soltsy-2 base is located in the Novgorod region, the BBC notes.

While the Russian Defense Ministry claimed the drone was shot down and the fire was quickly extinguished, photos posted on social media showed a large fire engulfing the aircraft with the Tu-22’s distinctive nose. BBC Verify has analyzed the images and believes they are authentic.

Even if the destruction of one aircraft will have little effect on the strength of Moscow’s current fleet of 60 aircraft, the operation highlights Kyiv’s growing ability to strike targets deep inside Russian territory, the BBC comments.

In recent months, Kyiv has launched dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to attack Moscow, demonstrating that they can cover distances of several hundred kilometers. Soltsi-2 is located approximately 650 km from the border with Ukraine.

The Russian Ministry of Defense’s description of the drone as a “helicopter UAV” suggests, however, that it is a cheap, commercially available device that can be launched over short distances.

The remains of the aircraft correspond to Tu-22M3 aircraft

The Tu-22 is a Cold War-era rotary-wing supersonic bomber with the NATO codename “Backfire”. Modern versions, such as the Tu-22M3, can reach speeds of Mach 2 (2,300 km/h) and carry up to 24,000 kg of weapons, including unguided bombs and homing missiles. They were used in conflicts in Syria, Chechnya and Georgia, and recently in Ukraine.

According to the Kyiv prosecutor’s office, in January a missile fired from a Tu-22 hit a residential building in Dnipro, killing 30 people. According to them, the shelling was carried out by the 52nd bomber aviation regiment of the Russian Guard. The regiment is based in Soltsy-2.

BBC Verify confirmed the site of the Soltsiv-2 Ukrainian drone strike by comparing visual clues, such as the appearance of the planes and hangars, with older satellite images of the air base. The weather conditions at the time – wet and overcast – are also consistent with the weather in the footage, as well as other photographs taken by witnesses to the incident.

The remains of the plane, which can be seen in the pictures, correspond to the wreckage of the Tu-22M3. Older satellite images analyzed by BBC Verify show that aircraft of this type were stationed at the base.

On Monday, the spokesman of the Military Intelligence Service of Ukraine reported that another military aircraft was damaged in a drone strike in the Kaluga region of Russia. Russian media also reported the attack but denied any damage.

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