As of April 22, 2024, six Tu-22M3 strategic bombers, four Su-24M/MR aircraft, as well as approximately 20 helicopters of various types were stationed at the russian Mozdok airfield. At the same time, it is not clear why the russians painted the silhouettes of the Tu-22M3 and Su-24M/MR aircraft on the runway.
The corresponding satellite images were made publicly available on his Twitter profile by an OSINT analyst under the nickname Evergreen Intel.
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Experts of Defense Express estimate that such data are important for further consideration in the assessment of the situation around Ukraine and, accordingly, the capabilities of the enemy. In particular, according to the reports of Ukraine’s Air Force, during the last month, the russian invaders regularly used Kh-22 supersonic cruise missiles launched from the Tu-22M3 aircraft for massive strikes on Ukraine: five missiles of this type were used on March 22, three missiles on March 28, as well as six missiles - during the strike on April 19 (as a result, two Kh-22s were shot down).
In addition, we should remind that on April 19, 2024, the Defense Forces of Ukraine shot down one Tu-22M3 bomber. Judging by the crash site of this plane, it was probably flying to Mozdok airfield.
If we proceed from the data that the so-called "russian Aerospace Forces" actually have only 30 Tu-22M3 bombers, then it turns out that the russian military has concentrated at least a fifth of the fleet of these aircraft at just one airfield.
It is worth recalling that the russians began using the Mozdok airfield as a base for their Tu-22M3s deployed for strikes against Ukraine no later than the end of May 2023. Until then, the airfield was under renovation, which began in 2020. Until 1992, "Mozdok" had been used as a base for Tu-95MS, and in 2016, the russians raised the same Tu-22M3s from this airfield as classic "bombers" for strikes on Syria.
In addition, from November 2023 to March 2024, the russians also used Mozdok as a base for their MiG-31K aircraft, which are carriers of Kinzhal-type missiles. Satellite images by January 2024 showed that there were two aircraft of this type at this airport.
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