After the fall of the Soviet Union, the
Ukrainian Air Force was left with three air armies (1,100 combat aircraft), which included 30
Tu-16 missile carriers, 33
Tu-22KD missile carriers, 30
Tu-22R reconnaissance aircraft, 36
Tu-22M3s, 23
Tu-95MSs, 19
Tu-160s, 20
Ilyushin IL-78 aerial refueling aircraft, as well as large stockpiles of missiles: 1,068
Kh-55s and 423
Kh-22s. In 1992 Ukraine also received much of the Soviet
Black Sea Fleet, including the 2nd Guards Maritime Missile Aviation Division (
Hvardiiske,
Crimea), with three regiments of maritime attack
Tu-22M2s and an independent Maritime Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment (Saki-
Novofedorovka,
Crimean Oblast) of
Tu-22Ps. The 1995/96 edition of the Military Balance continued to list the remnant of these forces under now-
Ukrainian Naval Aviation. In 1994
Tu-22M2s,
Tu-16Ks and a large part of the
Tupolev Tu-22Ps were put in storage and then dismantled. The reasons for the elimination of Ukrainian long-range bombers included: == Long-Range Aviation bases ==