M-55.

This is coolbert:

In reality, this is not so much of great consequence but will also surprise goodly number of persons?

Soviet Cold War era combat interceptor warplane brought out of mothballs, refitted, refurbished, retrofitted and now ready for action?

M–55 high-altitude flying aircraft analogous to the American Cold War era spy-plane U-2. The Black Lady of espionage.

"Russia launched a rare high-altitude M-55 plane with Su-34 containers"

 From https://bulgarianmilitary.com | By Boyko Nikolov | Nov 5, 2023.

"Evidence has recently surfaced in the public sphere, showing that the rare M-55 Geofizika high-altitude aircraft, belonging to Russia, has had its preservation ceased and its flights resumed from the Ramenskoe airport near Moscow."

"A distinctive container, most likely a UKR-RT fitted with radio reconnaissance gear, was observed affixed to the aircraft’s wing. Similar containers were first evident underneath the Su-34 during the Russian military’s Zapad-2021 operations two years prior." 

"The Su-34 tactical bomber fleet [NATO code name Fullback] may be equipped with UKR-RT electronic intelligence (ELINT) pods in the future, according to the Izvestia daily. The Su-34s will get ELINT pods enabling them to both acquire and attack enemy headquarters, communications and data transmission systems and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control centers in real time. The UKR-RT system is carried in a special pod under the fuselage."

"ELINT, or electronic intelligence, refers to any intelligence that is gathered from electronic signals; in other words, only non-communications intelligence. 

ELINT signals include radio or electromagnetic pulses and signals that are emitted from radars, missiles, guidance systems, and aircraft"

M–55 mission as was originally envisioned by Soviet military Cold War planners was high altitude shoot down of American photographic intelligence balloons of the Moby Dick variety. 

M-55 aircraft never actually seeing any sort of combat service as an interceptor warplane.

Finally functioning as a very high-flying meteorological research aircraft.

M—55 now going to carry an ELINT reconnaissance pod from this point forward strictly reconnaissance and intelligence gathering.

Hard to see how one such plane will make a big difference in the overall scheme of things.

coolbert.