Russia deploys 70-year-old Tu-95 ‘Bear’ bomber on patrol near Alaska

Russia’s defence ministry announced that its aging Tu-95MS “Bear” strategic bombers carried out a scheduled patrol across the Bering and Chukchi seas, a region adjacent to Alaska that connects the North Pacific and the Arctic. First introduced in 1952 and later modified to launch long-range cruise missiles, the Tu-95 family has been retained since the Soviet collapse and has seen combat in Syria and Ukraine. Powered by four Kuznetsov NK-12MP turboprop engines, the aircraft can travel up to about 890 km/h and has a range of roughly 6,500-10,500 km, allowing it to conduct long-duration missions.

Its primary modern role is as a launch platform for missiles such as the Kh-101, enabling strikes without entering heavily defended airspace. The recent flight serves both operational training and a strategic signalling purpose, demonstrating Russia’s capacity to project power near North America.