These airframes have long been stored at the Kazan Aircraft Production Association (KAPO), where they are used to “produce” new bombers.
Early in the morning on Jan. 20, long-range Ukrainian drones struck KAPO. In 2022-2023, Russia managed to build three new Tu-160 bombers using these stocks, designated as Tu-160M. By February 2022, one old Tu-160 at the Kazan plant was also refurbished. All four Tu-160M bombers are expected to be operational by 2025, although they were initially planned for 2023. Delays have been caused by problems with engines and electronic equipment onboard, according to the report.
The situation regarding the modernization of Tu-22M3 bombers is more complex, the publication notes. As of February 2022, six airframes of these aircraft were present at KAPO. It is noted that at most two of them were used for parts or to build a refurbished Tu-22M3M airframe.
The first modernized Tu-22M3M was completed in 2018, and the second in 2023. However, there were plans as early as 2012 to modernize up to 30 of these planes at the Kazan plant by 2020.