Key Points and Summary: The Tupolev Tu-95 “Bear,” a Cold War icon and the world’s only frontline turboprop bomber, is facing an existential crisis in Ukraine. -The Threat: Used as a “missile truck” to ...

On a seemingly clear morning in May 2024, alarm bells rang inside NORAD’s Alaska command as a pair of Russian Tupolev Tu‑95 “Bear” strategic bombers—loaded with nuclear-capable weapons—approached the ...

Even though the original Tu-95s first entered service more than 70 years ago, the aircraft was not deployed in combat until 2015. The Russian Aerospace Force’s Tupolev Tu-95 (NATO reporting name “Bear ...