The Russian Invasion of Ukraine does not stop throwing News daily ,. Now, satellite images have revealed An important deployment of military planes of the Federation at the Olenya Air Baselocated on the Kola Peninsula, in the northwest of Russia. A place unexpected.
The images showed the presence of 10 TU-95ms bombers(known by NATO as Bear-H), together with 35 TU-22m3 bombers(designated as backfire-C by the alliance). There was also the presence of five transport aircraft AN-12 (o Cub), Three TU-134ubl training aircraft (Crusty), y Four Mi-8 helicopters (Hip), reports the specialized media .
This concentration of Up to 45 aircraft on a single base It has raised Questions On Russia’s intentions, especially given the Base proximity to NATO borders.
Olenya, located about 90 kilometers south of Murmansk, has long been a Key installation for strategic aviation of those of, but This display scale “is unusual and generates curiosity about its purpose, if it points to a escalation, a defensive maneuver or a logistics operation”says the digital.
This air base has a long history as a Russian long -range aviation operations center. Its 3,500 meters track, the longest in the Kola Peninsulamakes it ideal for operating aircraft heavy capable of covering great distances.
Historically, it served as a basis for Naval recognition during the Cold War and even acted as a scale of Reporting of fuel for flights between Moscow and Havana in the 1960s and 1970s.
More recently, since the large -scale invasion of Ukraine began by Russia in February 2022, Olenya He has played an outstanding role in launching missile attacks against Ukrainian objectives.
Tu-95ms and TU-22m3 bombers parked there have been fundamental In these operations, often carrying cruise missiles to attack remote infrastructure of the front. However, the sudden concentration of such a large number of bombers in this remote advanced north It is not usualand has caught the attention of the observers who follow the military movements of Russia.
What can mean
To understand the importance of this deployment, it is convenient to analyze the Historical patterns. In May 2023, satellite images showed a remarkable concentration of aircraft in Olenya, including 14 TU-95ms bombers, two TU-160 bomber and two TU-22m3 bomber, in addition to transport aircraft and helicopters.
This accumulation of troops preceded a series of intense air attacks against Ukrainian citieswhich suggests that the big deployments in Olenya can Being precursors of offensive operations. Another significant moment occurred in May 2024, when images revealed 12 Tu-95ms and 13 Tu-22m3 bombers at the base, which represented approximately a third of the roller fleet of these aircraft in service at that time.
British and Ukrainian intelligence services then estimated that Russia had together Around 40 bombers TU-95ms and TU-22m3 operations, which means that Olenya housed a substantial part of its strategic aviation assets.
After that accumulation of missiles, Russia launched multiple missile downloads against Ukrainian energy facilitiesindicating a pattern in which these concentrations indicate imminent action. The current deployment of 45 bombers exceeds the previous cases, making it the greatest observed in Olenya since the beginning of the war.
Geographically, Olenya is approximately the 1,800 kilometers north of the border with Ukraine, A distance that places it well above the reach of most Ukrainian conventional drones and weapons. This remoteness has made it a safe shelter for Russian bombers, especially after Ukrainian drones attacks impacting closer bases, such as Engels, in the Sardev region, at the end of 2022 and early 2023.
The TU-95ms, a strategic bomber with turbophelic, and the TU-22m3, a long-range supersonic bomber, are able to transport advanced cruise missiles as the KH-101 and KH-55 series. These weapons, with scope over 2,500 kilometersThey allow Russia to attack objectives inside Ukraine Without exposing your airplanes to defenses firstline.
In practice, these bombers usually take off from Olenya, fly over Russian territory to the south to positions close to the Caspian Sea or the region of Sátov, and launch its missiles from there. This tactic has been fundamental in the Russian campaign to degrade The Ukrainian infrastructure, with attacks that often have electrical centrals and civil facilities.
Western experts have offered various interpretations about the possible meaning of this last deployment. Some see it as a Possible preparation signal for a new wave of attacks. Michael Clarke, defense analyst and former director of the in London, suggested in a recent interview that Russia could be consolidating its aerial assets to launch a coordinated offensivepossibly scheduled for exploit the weaknesses in the air defenses of Ukraine as spring is approaching.
He pointed out that the presence of 35 TU-22m3 bombers, a figure much higher than the previous deployments, could indicate A plan to overwhelm the Ukrainian objectives with a large volume. However, others warn that precipitated conclusions should not be drawn.
Katarzyna Zysk, professor at the Norwegian Defense Institute, said the role of Olenya It has evolved Since the war began and that this accumulation could simply reflect routine maintenance or repositioning. He stressed that the location of the base, only 150 kilometers from Finland -Mean of NATO since 2023- already 200 kilometers from Norway, complicates any aggressive intention, since Russia fear provoking a reaction of the alliance.
The proximity to NATO is undoubtedly a crucial factor. Olenyya’s position on Kola’s peninsula places her at a attack distance from NATO northern flank, a fact that It has not gone unnoticed. During the cold war, the location of the base was less vulnerable, with the NATO border more west, along Norway. He changed that dynamic, bringing the surveillance and missile systems of the alliance.
The radar and electronic recognition equipment of Finland and Norway can closely monitor Olenyaand NATO fighters, such as Norwegian F-35, have deployed their planes in the past to intercept Russian bombers that fly near their airspace. At the end of April 2024, for example, NATO traced a formation of seven Russian airplanes, including two Tu-160 bombers, north of the Norwegian region of Finnmark.
This closeness means that any large -scale take -off from Olenya It would be quickly detectedreducing the surprise element and potentially deterring Russia to use the base for more than its current role in the Ukraine conflict.
Could this display be logistics instead of operation? It is a possibility that it is worth considering. The presence of five transport aircraft AN-12 suggests activity that goes beyond combat preparations. These aircraft are often used to transport Suppliesincluding cruise missiles, in support of bombers operations. The three TU-134UBL planes, designed to train strategic aviation pilots, and the four MI-8 helicopters, usually used for utilitarian and transport functions, are one more track of a broader mission.
Analysts from the European Policy Analysis Center have speculated that Russia could be rotating airplanes through Olenya for maintenance or updatesespecially given the wear of its aging float after three years of war.
The TU-95ms, for example, is a design of the 1950s and, although modernized, requires regular maintenance. Similarly, TU-22m3, although more recent, has experienced reliability problemswith some units lost by Ukrainian defenses or accidents since 2022. A logistics explanation would be in line with the Russia need to maintain its long -term air campaign.
“Worrying”
Even so, “the scale of this deployment is disproportionate For a purely routine activity, “says the medium. Historically, Olenya has housed less aircraft at a given time, with numbers that usually range between 10 and 25.
The jump to 45 is surprising, especially if Russia’s history is considered to use the base as an attack platform. In November 2024, nine or ten Tu-95ms bombers of Olenya participated in a Mass attack against Ukraine, attacking cities like kyiv and Odesa with cruise missiles.
That operation, one of the greatest of the year, stressed the strategic importance of the base. The current increase of troops, With more than triple bombers involved in that attacksuggests that Russia could be preparing to Something greater, or at least wants to project that impression.
Western reactions They have been mesurned, but attentive. A Pentagon spokesman declined to make direct comments on the images of March 11, but reiterated that the United States continues closely watching Russian military activitiesespecially close to NATO borders. Ukrainian officials, meanwhile, have been more expressive.
A source of the Ukraine Air Force, speaking anonymously with the described the deployment as “worrying” And he speculated that he could indicate a Attempt to weaken Ukraine’s defenses before a spring offensive.
However, without access to American intelligence data in real time – interruption before 2025, according to some reports – for one days, the ability to predict the next movement of Russia It could be limitedto. This uncertainty adds another layer of tension to an already volatile situation.
The analysts of BulgarianMilitary.com They believe that this deployment reflects a Russian calculated measure to maintain pressure on Ukrainewhile keeping your options. The large number of aircraft, particularly 35 TU-22m3 bombers, suggests capacity for sustained operations, possibly aimed at overflowing Ukrainian aerial defenses with a brainstorm.
At the same time, the inclusion of training and transport aircraft points to a longer term strategy, Possibly to compensate for losses or prepare for a prolonged conflict. The distance of the base to Ukraine offers protection, but its proximity to NATO entails the risk of a calculation error.
Russia could be putting the determination of the Westshowing strength without committing to immediate action. However, given the past trends, the possibility of this accumulation of forces leads to a significant attack cannot be ruled out.
As of March 12, 2025, the situation remained unstable. Satellite images continued to offer a perspective of Russia’s movements, but His intentions were less clear. Either a prelude to an escalation, a defensive measure or a logistics change, the deployment in Olenya underlines the current risks in the region.
With 45 planes currently in place, including some of the most powerful bombers in Russia, The base rises as a focal point in a conflict that does not show signs of fading and a reminder of how close the war in Ukraine touches the borders of the rest of the world.
