Putin taunts the West by taking a flight in Russia’s Tu-160M strategic nuclear bomber as Kremlin threatens nuclear war

Vladimir Putin taunted the West by taking a joyride today in a modernized supersonic strategic nuclear bomber Tu-160M ​​- as the Kremlin threatened nuclear war.

The despot’s stunt – which lasted about 40 minutes – appeared designed to boost his macho appeal as he runs for re-election next month, and to divert attention from the ‘murder’ of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a prison in the Arctic.

But by flying a type of fighter jet that has been used to wreak havoc in Ukraine with conventional weapons, he sent the message that he intended to keep fighting in Ukraine, which he invaded nearly two years ago.

And the massive Tu-160M ​​– also called White Swan – is a key part of its nuclear strike force at a time when the Kremlin is bluntly warning the West of the risk of nuclear war.

Putin was spotted in Kazan, a day after visiting a factory in the city that produces the Tupolev bombers.

The despot’s stunt – which lasted about 40 minutes – appeared designed to boost his macho appeal as he stands for re-election next month, and to divert attention from the “murder” of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a prison in the Arctic.

He climbed a ladder at the factory to enter the plane and spent ten minutes in the cockpit.

He then made the decision to fly one of his bombers himself – his first flight since taking to the skies in a Tu-160 in 2005.

The giant swing-wing aircraft is a substantially modernized version of a Soviet-era bomber that the USSR would have deployed in the event of a nuclear war with the West to deliver nuclear weapons at long ranges.

The TU-160M ​​can carry twelve cruise missiles or twelve short-range nuclear missiles and can fly 12,000 kilometers non-stop without refueling.

The election stunt came less than a week after a man who wanted to oust him as president – ​​Navalny – was “murdered” in his bleak prison in the Arctic.

Even though the March elections are expected to favor Putin, he is currently more visible on state television than he has been in years.

A breathless report on Putin-controlled Russian state television said: “We have just seen the president (Vladimir Putin) climb into the cockpit of a strategic Tu-160 bomber again, for the second time in two days.”

On the tarmac, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had “made the decision to fly.” There is now a flight (with Putin).”

Putin later retired the Tu-160M, calling the improved aircraft – the model he had flown – suitable for the Russian air force.

‘The technology is excellent. It can be accepted by the armed forces,” he said.

Putin (third from left) was seen on Wednesday touring the Kazan Aviation Factory, which houses some of the huge Tu-160M ​​bombers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen in the cockpit of a Tupolev Tu-160M ​​strategic bomber during a visit to the Gorbunov Kazan aviation factory in Kazan on February 21, 2024

His stunt came after the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council recently warned that Putin could bomb London, Washington, Berlin and Kiev in the event of setbacks in the war with Kiev, resulting in a withdrawal of Moscow’s troops.

Today he reiterated this warning to the West, saying that Russia could even accidentally start a nuclear war.

Medvedev also accused Western leaders of not taking the threat seriously.

“As sad as it may sound, this (nuclear war) scenario is real,” said Putin’s lackey and – from 2008 to 2012 – former president of Russia.

‘We must do everything we can to prevent this. But precisely this clock, which is ticking in a certain direction, has now accelerated enormously.

‘And in this I also see the inability, excuse me, the impotence of these Western authorities.

“(They) keep saying the same thing: ‘No, it’s the Russians who scare us, they will never do it.’ “They’re wrong,” he said ominously.

A pair of Tu-160M ​​strategic missile carriers are seen at the Kazan Aviation Factory in Kazan during a tour of the facility by Putin on February 21, 2024

Putin signs a photo of a TU-160M ​​nuclear bomber during a visit to the Gorbunov Aviation factory in Kazan, Russia, January 25, 2018 (file photo)

“When it comes to the survival of our country, and I said this recently, what choice is left for the (Russian) leadership, for the head of state? No.’

He stressed: “So this is unfortunately a real threat, a direct and clear threat to all of humanity.

‘And secondly, there are also accidents, from which no one is immune. And the accidental, unintended onset of a nuclear conflict cannot be ruled out.

“So all these games around Ukraine are extremely dangerous.”

The US has warned its allies that Russia is developing a space-based nuclear weapon designed to destroy key Western satellite networks.

Such a weapon would wreak havoc on Western satellite communications, GPS, space surveillance and military commando operations.

The Tu-160 strategic bomber is known to NATO as Blackjack and can carry two dozen missiles with a total payload of 45 tons.

The Mach 2 bomber has a variable-wing wing according to the integral low-wing scheme and a maximum take-off weight of 275 tons.

The TU-160M ​​can carry 12 cruise missiles or 12 short-range nuclear missiles and can fly 12,000 kilometers non-stop without refueling

The nuclear bomber dates back to the 1960s, but state-controlled Russian TV coverage of Putin’s visit to Kazan praised the plane’s potential, claiming it was “a technology that many Russian rivals have not been able to copy.”

The Rossiya 1 channel told its viewers that the plane was “the largest fighter plane and the fastest bomber in the world.”

Channel One stated: ‘This plane is about 50 years ahead of everything else at the moment.’

Putin named the new plane he boarded after the first president of the Tatarstan region, Mintimer Shaimiyev.