The Russian Armed Forces have, for the first time, employed a new format for massed long-range aviation strikes during their latest attack on targets across Ukraine. This was reported by the Telegram channel Operation Z: War Correspondents of the Russian Spring.

According to the channel, the operation marked an unprecedented move: four airbases located in different regions of Russia were used simultaneously. Monitoring data indicate that 11 Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers took part in the strike, operating from the Ukrainka and Belaya airbases in the Far East, Olenya in the North, and Engels-2 in western Russia.

The report emphasizes that this is the first confirmed instance of Russian forces launching cruise missiles at the same time from such a wide network of airfields. Shortly before the combat sortie, cruise missiles were reloaded onto three Tu-95MS aircraft and one Tu-160 at Engels-2, with the process completed just hours ahead of takeoff.

Military analysts note that this approach is designed to complicate early detection of aircraft movements and disrupt attempts to forecast impending strikes. By dispersing launch platforms across multiple regions, the pattern of preparation becomes harder to track.

It was also reported that several bombers involved in the strikes later returned to Engels-2 to reload cruise missiles, indicating the potential for follow-up operations.

Earlier reports confirmed that on the night of December 22–23, Russian forces carried out another large-scale strike on Ukrainian territory, using a combination of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.