On the morning of January 3, monitoring channels tracked the takeoff of Tu-95MS strategic bombers inside the Russian Federation. Four aircraft were redeployed from the Ukrainka air base in the Amur region to the Olenya long-range aviation airfield in Russia’s Murmansk region.
At 10:14, specialized channels reported the transfer of four Russian bombers to Murmansk region.
Overnight, activity by Tu-22M3 bombers was also observed at the Olenya air base. Preliminary reports had indicated those aircraft were being moved to the Engels air base in Saratov region and to Shaykovka in Kaluga region.
The redeployments place Russian bombers at airfields closer to Ukraine’s borders. In response, Ivano-Frankivsk Mayor Ruslan Martsinkiv warned on social media of a potential threat of airstrikes over the next two days.
“Let’s be attentive to nighttime air-raid alerts in the next 48 hours!” he wrote on social media.
Following Operation “Web,” conducted on June 1, 2025, the Ukrainka air base - located 5,960 km from Ukraine - became the primary hub for most Tu-95MS aircraft operated by Russia’s Aerospace Forces.
Earlier, reports indicated that Russia’s military was moving combat aviation closer to Ukraine’s borders. According to monitoring resources, Russia’s Aerospace Forces were preparing to launch strikes on the night of December 31 to January 1 or January 1 to 2. Observers noted movements of Tu-95MS and Tu-160 bombers, as well as MiG-31 aircraft.
