BBC News: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A flagship Russian long-range bomber has been destroyed in a Ukrainian drone strike, according to reports.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Images posted on social media and analysed by BBC Verify show a Tupolev Tu-22 on fire at Soltsy-2 airbase, south of St Petersburg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moscow said that a drone was hit by small-arms fire but managed to “damage” a plane. Ukraine has not commented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Tu-22 can travel at twice the speed of sound and has been used extensively by Russia to attack cities in Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Russian defence ministry said in a statement that an attack by a “copter-type UAV” took place at around 10:00 Moscow time (08:00 BST) on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It stated the location as “a military airfield in the Novgorod region”, where Soltsy-2 is situated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The UAV was detected by the airfield’s observation outpost and was hit with small-arms fire,” the ministry said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “One airplane was damaged; there were no casualties as a result of the terrorist act.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The statement also said a fire which broke out in the airfield parking lot was quickly extinguished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, images posted on the social media platform Telegram showed a large fire engulfing a jet with the distinctive nose cone of the Tu-22. BBC Verify analysed the images and believes them to be credible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the destruction of a single aircraft will have little effect on the potency of Moscow’s current 60-strong fleet, the operation highlights Kyiv’s growing ability to strike targets deep inside Russian territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kyiv has over recent months launched dozens of fixed-wing unmanned aircraft to attack Moscow, a journey of several hundred miles. Soltsy-2 is around 400 miles (650km) from the Ukraine border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the Russian MoD’s description of the drone as a “copter-type UAV” suggests a cheap, commercially available device launched at short range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Tu-22 is a Cold War-era, swing-wing supersonic bomber, codenamed “Backfire” by Nato, which has been used extensively in attacks on Ukrainian cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Modern versions such as the Tu-22M3 can reach speeds of Mach 2 (2,300km\/h or 1,430mp\/h) and can carry up to 24,000kg of weapons, including “dumb bombs” and homing missiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They have been used in conflicts in Syria, Chechnya, and Georgia and most recently in Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n