It is somewhat of an irony that the Soviet Union's principal intercontinental nuclear bomber during the jet age was actually a turboprop, the Tu-95 'Bear'. The decision to use this kind of engine became a compromise between speed and fuel efficiency, and was necessary to achieve the necessary range to reach targets within the continental USA, something that the Tu-4 (a reverse-engineered B-29) could not. But even with this configuration, the Tu-95 was not significantly slower than its contemporary jet counterparts like the B-52 and was the USSR's only Cold War bomber capable of achieving intercontinental ranges without aerial refueling. Built with a traditional early swept-wing bomber design, the most distinguishing feature of the Tu-95 was a pair of massive counter-rotating propellers on each engine. It was also the only turboprop bomber ever produced and the only propeller-driven aircraft to have swept-wings. During the Cold War, Tu-95s would frequently be found flying rong-range missions in the North Atlantic and Alaska where they approached dangerously close to US airspace. While at first their size and speed would have made them difficult targets, the advent of air-to-air missiles made their operations far more hazardous and thus were eventually reconditioned as cruise missile platforms. A navalized version, the Tu-142, is also used extensively for ASW duties and both aircraft are still in widespread use with Russian forces although most of the older variants have now been retired. Like the US B-52, the Tu-95's longevity is attributed to its ability to adapt to numerous conventional roles beyond that of a nuclear bomber for which it was originally designed. Following a post-Cold War lull, the Russian government announced a resumption of Tu-95 patrols in 2007 and since then, many have been spotted by US or NATO aircraft in the Pacific, Atlantic, and the Baltic sea where they are operating with increased intensity. The Tu-95 had its combat debut over Syria in 2015, nearly six decades after it was introduced into service.

Originally known to the West as the Tu-20, the first prototype Tu-95 flew on 12 November 1952 and deployed less than five years later as the Tu-95M 'Bear-A' with free-fall nuclear bombs. Its successor, the Tu-95K 'Bear-B' increased its destructive capability by carrying the Kh-20 air-to-surface missile under the fuselage while the Tu-95KM 'Bear-C' added a pair of recon radomes in the rear fuselage. These were followed by the Tu-95K-22 'Bear-G' with a revised radome profile plus the ability to carry two Kh-22 missiles. The Tu-95M introduced new engines and was followed by the Tu-95M-55 carrier for the Kh-55 missile. Maritime variants began as conversions of Tu-95Ms equipped with electronic and optical equipment for their roles as missile guidance (Tu-95RT 'Bear-D') and maritime reconnaissance (Tu-95MR 'Bear-E'). Eventually, a completely new aircraft was designed for use as a dedicated ASW platform, this was the Tu-142 'Bear-F' which was characterized by a longer fuselage and a prominent naval search radar underneath. Upgrades included the Tu-142M series which incorporated improved sensors and a magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) and finally, the Tu-142MR 'Bear-J' which serves as a relay aircraft for submerged submarines. Later, the Tu-95MS 'Bear-H' became the final bomber variant which is still in service and which was based on the Tu-142 airframe rather than the earlier bomber variants (production began after a decade-long hull). It is optimized as a carrier for the Kh-55 cruise missile, and subsequent sub-variants like the Tu-95MS6 and Tu-95MS16 could carry more advanced versions which could be launched from a rotary launcher or from underwing pylons. The most recent modernization is the Tu-95MSM which includes GLONASS targeting and can carry Kh-101/102 missiles. Non-combat versions include the Tu-95U 'Bear-T' trainer, and the Tu-95V carrier for the Tsar Bomba thermonuclear device. A myriad of experimental versions were built, most notably one designed to air-drop a MiG-19 aircraft which was carried semi-recessed in the fuselage.