A Soviet-made Tu-95MS long-range strategic bomber, supposedly sitting at an airfield in Ukraine, has made its way to auction on eBay with a starting price of $3 million.
The condition of the bomber is stated as "used," and it will require extra work before it is ready to fly, a description accompanying the listing says.
The cost of shipping to the ports of Mykolaiv or Odessa is included in the price, and the seller says that they can disassemble "the plane so [you] can get one or all of the turbines exclusively. Or the plane without the turbines s[e]parate."
"The plane was manufactured in 1987 and has been flown 454 hours and 24 minutes of the estimated 5,000 hours it is capable of. The overall condition of the plane is very decent," the listing said.
The seller's claim to worldwide shipping is qualified by a lengthy list of exceptions that essentially disqualify shipping to anywhere but North America and Western Europe.
The seller is a company headquartered in Switzerland that specializes in the "distribution of goods and raw materials from Ukraine" that has recently acquired the aircraft, which has been demilitarized and comes with all the documents necessary to facilitate its sale and delivery.
So far, only one bid has been made on the plane. Potential buyers can pay in cash or by international bank transfer.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
