Russia brings Soviet-era M-55 aircraft back into service – UK intelligence

This was stated in a report from the Ministry of Defenсe of Great Britain.

The Russians repurposed the M-55 aircraft for earth study but recently outfitted it with a military reconnaissance pod meant for fighter jets.

British intel officers point out a significant flaw in Russia's procurement strategy—its lack of proper intelligence, surveillance, and target detection capability.

"This is critical for the timely and accurate prosecution of targets by air, sea, and ground forces. There is a realistic possibility that the M-55 will return to frontline service to bolster Russia's limited ISTAR capabilities over Ukraine. Operating at high altitudes enables the sensors to work at considerable stand-off range," stressed the British Ministry of Defense.

Simultaneously, intelligence indicates the M-55 might undertake missions from Russia's relatively secure airspace.

• Yesterday, a publicly available photo suggested that the Russians have revived flights of the rare high-altitude aircraft M-55 "Geophysica" at the Ramenskoye airfield near Moscow.