Russia might deploy a Soviet-era spy plane over Ukraine

Russia is considering redeploying a Soviet-era reconnaissance airplane to aid in its fight against Ukraine. Here’s what was revealed about Moscow’s potnetial plans and why this aircraft could prove to be helpful for Russia. 

On November 19th, the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence reported that the Kremlin was likely considering bringing the M-55 Mystic B back into service in order to fill one of the glaring gaps in its military capabilities. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Leonid Faerberg

One critical flaw Russia has faced during its invasion of Ukraine has been its inability to establish its Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities throughout the war according to the defence ministry intelligence update. 

Russia’s ISTAR capabilities are important to its operations in Ukraine because this type of information allows a country's armed forces to prosecute strikes on enemy targets across the land, sea, and air. The M-55 could give Russia a much needed boost in this respect. 

The M-55 Mystic B, known in Russia as the Myasishchev M-55 Geophysica, has the potential to fix Moscow’s intelligence woes because it was designed to operate as a high-altitude reconnaissance plane that Business Insider noted was out of Ukraine’s reach. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Alex Beltyukov - RuSpotters Team

Flying at a top operating ceiling of 70,000 feet in the air, one of the Kremlin’s M-55s had been relegated to scientific missions studying the Earth but was recently spotted with a military reconnaissance pod attached to it according to a Defense Express report. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Rebrov Aleksandr - Russia MAKS-2005 Geofisika

The UK Ministry of Defence wrote in its war update that there was a “realistic possibility” the M-55 would return to frontline service in order to bolster Moscow’s ISTAR capability, which is something that would be bad for Ukraine. 

Because the M-55 operates at such a high altitude, its sensors work at a “considerable stand-off range,” the war update reported, which means that Ukraine would probably not be able to stop the reconnaissance aircraft from gathering information for Russia's military commanders. 

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The UK Defence Ministry also reported: “It is almost certain that the aircraft will conduct missions against Ukraine from the relative safety of Russian airspace,” the UK Ministry of Defence wrote. Luckily, not many M-55s were manufactured. 

The M-55 was initially developed in the 1980s from the counter spy balloon aircraft the M-17 Mystic. The M-55 was used as a military reconnaissance aircraft and later for scientific purposes. Defense Express noted that only five were known to have been made. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Lestocq - Own work

All five of Russia’s M-55s were converted in 1996 to be scientific aircraft meant for use in a civilian capacity. However, recent images of one with a military reconnaissance pod attached to its wing may mean that the role of the aircraft has changed. 

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The M-55 Mystic B was an impressive weapon when it was first deployed into service in 1988. Flying at subsonic speeds, this single-seat aircraft had two turbojet engines and could stay in the air for over six hours. 

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Moreover, the M-55 had the ability to carry a payload of up to 3300 pounds in the form of removable pods that could be mounted to the aircraft’s wings according to the Kyiv Post’s review of the Mystic B’s capabilities. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Anna Zvereva

“Reconnaissance equipment operates automatically during flight with real-time data being transmitted through its communication channel to the ground control station,” the Kyiv Post added about the reconnaissance aircraft. 

The M-55 was the Soviet Union’s answer to the US U2-R high-altitude reconnaissance. However, Military Today noted that the Soviet plane was inferior in performance, avionics, and reconnaissance to its American counterpart. 

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Whether or not the M-55 will make an appearance in the skies over Ukraine has yet to be seen. But if the spy plane does return to active military service it could be a tool that gives Russia another edge over the Ukrainian Armed Forces.