Tupolev Tu-22M Strategic Bomber.
Russia’s Tu-22M supersonic, long-range, strategic bombers have reportedly began to carry out precision strikes on high-value military targets in Ukraine.
On May 11, Russian sources shared a video showing a Tu-22M, most likely a modernized Tu-M3, launching two Kh-22-type precision-guided missiles at targets in Odessa oblast. According to the sources, the missile strike took place very recently.
The Kh-22 is a large, long-range anti-ship missile with land-attack capability that was developed by MKB Raduga in the Soviet Union.
The older versions of the Kh-22 had a range of 600 kilometers only. However, the missile’s newest version, dubbed Kh-32, features serious upgrades on all levels.
The Kh-32 was designed to climb to 40 kilometers, to the stratosphere, after launch, transition to level flight, then perform a steep dive to the target. The cruise missile version is also designed to target enemy ships, as well as radars, and radio-contrast targets like bridges, military bases, electric power plants and others.
The missile has an inertial navigation system and radar homing head, making it independent of GPS/GLONASS navigation satellites. Presumably, it has a range of 1,000 kilometers and a speed of at least 5,000 kilometers per hour. The missile is armed with a 1,000 kg warhead. A nuclear-armed version was also developed.
Russia employed its Tu-22M bombers in Ukraine before, but only to bomb heavily fortified positions of Kiev forces in the Azovstal steel plant next to the city of Mariupol.
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When armed with the Kh-22\32, the Tu-22M provides Russia with the ability to strike high-value military targets of Kiev forces deep in Ukraine.
