, said in September that

For decades, long-range bombers have been part of the Soviet and Russian nuclear triad that also includes land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles and atomic-powered submarines carrying ICBMs. The strategic bombers have flown regular patrols around the globe showcasing Moscow’s nuclear might.n Ukraine, Russia has used the heavy planes to launch waves of

The Tupolev Tu-95, which was code named Bear by NATO, is a four-engine turboprop plane designed in the 1950s to rival the U.S. B-52 bomber. The aircraft has an intercontinental range and carries eight long-range cruise missiles that can be equipped with conventional or nuclear warheads.Before Sunday, Russia was estimated to have a fleet of about 60 such aircraft.The Tupolev Tu-22M is a twin-engine supersonic bomber designed in the 1970s that was code named Backfire by NATO. It has a shorter range compared with the Tu-95, but during U.S.-Soviet arms control talks in the 1970s, Washington insisted on counting them as part of the Soviet strategic nuclear arsenal because of their capability to reach the U.S. if refueled in flight.

The latest version of the plane, the Tu-22M3, carries Kh-22 cruise missiles that fly at more than three times the speed of sound. It dates to the 1970s, when it was designed by the Soviet Union to strike U.S. aircraft carriers. It packs a big punch, thanks to its supersonic speed and ability to carry 630 kilograms (nearly 1,400 pounds) of explosives, but its outdated guidance system could make it highly inaccurate against ground targets, raising the possibility of collateral damage.Some Tu-22Ms were lost in previous Ukrainian attacks, and Russia was estimated to have between 50 and 60 Tu-22M3s in service before Sunday’s drone strike.

The production of the Tu-95 and the Tu-22M ended after the 1991 collapse of the USSR, meaning that any of them lost Sunday can’t be replaced.

Russia also has another type of strategic nuclear capable bomber, the supersonic Tu-160. Fewer than 20 of them are in service, and Russia has just begun production of its modernized version equipped with new engines and avionics.Monday after beating No. 20 Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-0, 7-5 in the fourth round.

“But that one, I just had to take it. I learned that I had nothing to say, especially because I gave him a lot of (hassle) for it,” she said, “and then not even six months later, I did the same thing on an even bigger stage. But I have learned my lesson, and hopefully it won’t happen again.”As for his barb about “Mrs. Mature” — stemming from how Gauff carries herself on the court and off after breaking through at Wimbledon at age 15 and collecting her first Grand Slam title at 19 — she said she hears that type of comment a lot.

“I definitely for sure feel like I’m sometimes, when I was a junior, especially more mature than maybe some of my peers. I don’t know why. I feel like I have always been that. When I was in school, I would always be the first one to class. I remember getting yellow for the behavior chart once, and that was like the worst day of my life,” Gauff said. “I’m definitely someone that prides myself in being a good example. I think it’s because I have two younger brothers, and I feel like I have to be that example.”Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: