The Russian air force has begun acceptance testing of eight Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack and three Tupolev Tu-95MS Bear strategic bombers from Ukraine. The bombers were left in Ukraine when the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991 and are being handed to Russia following an inter-governmental agreement.
Russia will deduct $285 million from Ukraine's debt for natural gas deliveries as payment for the transfer. This is about one third the amount that Ukraine initially wanted from Russia.
A group of Russian air force officers, headed by Maj Gen Piotr Kazazayev, deputy commander of Long-Range Aviation (LRA), has arrived in Ukraine to prepare the bombers for the ferry flights from air bases at Uzin and Priluki.
At least 10 working days will be needed to prepare each of the bombers for the ferry flight, according to the Ukrainian defence ministry.
Ukraine inherited 40 strategic bombers - 19 Tu-160s and 21 Tu-95s - from the Soviet air force. The 29 aircraft remaining after the handover will be scrapped, says foreign minister Boris Tarasyuk.
The agreement will also add about 500 air-to-surface missiles stored in Ukraine to the LRA arsenal. At least some of them are believed to have nuclear warhead capability. Their nuclear warheads had been removed and shipped to Russia some years ago.
Source: Flight International
