Thank you! That headline really threw me for a loop.

Putin himself. If it looks like Russia is going to lose, he has expressed an attitude of "If I lose, so do you."

So glad to see the mention of "The Dream Is Alive." I love the movie, but the soundtrack has haunted me for years. Excellent and informative article.

The point is that Tu-95s are still an integral part of Moscow's aircraft leg of their nuclear triad. They are fully capable of carrying nuclear-tipped standoff weapons and attacking Europe. They fulfill the same role as the B-52 (also a 1940s-1950s design) does for the USAF. Their apparent cruising speed is roughly 100kph less than the B-52 and they are comparable in range.

Part of the reason it's so critical to Moscow is the uncertainty over the viability of their missile-based systems (both the land-based and sea-based legs of the triad). Maintenance has been so poor on these systems that no one is sure how reliable they are.

No, but some might have a "take the world down with me" attitude.