The Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) have about 58 Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers in service. This was reported by the publication "Tekhnosfera Russia," citing sources.
Serial production of the Tu-95MS was completed in 1992. At the same time, aircraft with the MS index existed in two modifications — the Tu-95MS-6 (31 units) and the Tu-95MS-16 (57 units). The difference between them was the number of missiles the aircraft could carry on board — 6 and 16, respectively.
For some time, the number of combat-ready Tu-95MS aircraft was understated in every possible way. For example, around 2018, Western sources claimed that no more than 20 such aircraft in Russia could carry out combat missions. But by the end of 2023, those same foreign authors were already stating that the Russian military operated 31 Tu-95MS and 27 Tu-95MSM aircraft. That is, 58 aircraft in total.
Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov stated that the Tu-95MS is being modernized by equipping it with more powerful engines and new onboard equipment.