Moment Putin’s nuclear bomber Tu-160 plane flies close to Ukraine border in major war escalation

Vladimir Putin today sent up his strategic bombers in the skies over Western Russia amid huge pressure on the Kremlin over the sinking of the Moskva flagship in the Black Sea.  Videos today caught four of the aircraft – used to carry nuclear bombs – over Kaluga region, between Moscow and the Ukrainian border.  Vladimir Putin’s nuclear bombers seen today in the skies over Smolensk region in western RussiaEast2West The TU-160 is being accompanied by two Russian Tu-95s and a re-fuelling planeEast2West The planes are believed to be Russian Tu-95s, known as Bears, and a TU-160, flying in striking distance of Ukraine. The Defence Ministry in Moscow had not immediately announced the purpose of the mission.  The Tu-95s have been used a number of times to strike targets in Ukraine with non-nuclear weapons, notably Kh-55 and Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles. Latest attacks by Russia have concentrated on major cities including Kyiv and Lviv.  More footage emerged showing a mission by the Tu-95s on Saturday over Smolensk region, also in western Russia.  No data found The super-loud Tu-95 is the only propeller-powered strategic bomber still in operational use today, and the plane first flew 70 years ago.  Putin has deployed the Tu-95s to buzz Britain at moments of high tension, for example in February this year when the Royal Air Force scrambled Typhoon fighters to escort two Bears off northern Scotland.