MOSCOW, September 7 (AVN) - Russia's TU-160 Blackjack, TU-95MS Bear strategic planes and TU-22M3 Blinder long-range bombers took off from the permanent stationing airfields in Engels and Shaikovka on Thursday to successfully launch two operational and three strategic cruise missiles at a fixed time, a source in the Air Force Staff told the Military News Agency.
The crews of the planes were commanded by Yu. Kuznetsov, S. Danilenko, V. Tsyrengarmayev and V. Kemp. All the targets in the Southern and Northern proving grounds were hit and the crew got excellent marks for that.
The planes landed in Belarus for the first time since 1994 proving the defence union of the two states, Air Force Commander Anatoly Kornukov told the Agency. The Russian Supreme Command has real long-range forces capable of guaranteeing Russia's security and strategic stability in the world, Kornukov stressed.