According to the Financial Times, the damaged and destroyed aircraft made up around 20% of Russia's operational long-range aviation fleet. Many of the aircraft types affected, such as the Tu-95 and Tu-22M3, have not been produced since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, making them impossible to replace and exceptionally difficult to repair.[15] Military expert William Alberque said that replenishing these losses could take years or even decades, and that the attacks would force Russia to disperse its bomber fleet across multiple airbases, reducing its ability to carry out large-scale strikes aimed at overwhelming Ukrainian air defences.[60] Indeed, many sources report that Russia "has relocated dozens of its strategic bombers to more remote airbases across the country".[61][62] Fabian Hoffmann at the University of Oslo commented that the loss of the bombers attacked was particularly damaging as they were the most operational examples; many others were undergoing maintenance.[60]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Spider%27s_Web

[–] NoSpotOfGround@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You take out a third of our airforce? Haha! Watch as its place is taken by TWO remaining thirds!

[–] supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Read the quote, Russia scrammed its remaining bombers out of fear to remote useless airbases.