Ukraine launched a devastating drone attack overnight on Russia’s Engels-2 air base in Saratov Oblast.

A source from Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) confirmed that the assault, executed jointly by the SBU and Special Operations Forces, triggered a fire, explosions, and secondary detonations of ammunition at the strategic military site.

The Engels-2 air base, located over 450 kilometers from Ukraine’s border, is a critical hub for Russia’s long-range aviation, housing Tupolev Tu-95, Tu-22, and Tu-160 strategic bombers—aircraft regularly deployed to rain missiles on Ukrainian cities. The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces stated, “This military facility is used by Russian aviation to launch missile strikes on Ukrainian territory and conduct terrorist attacks against civilians.” Andrii Kovalenko, an official at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, reported that multiple missiles, including Kh-101 cruise missiles, were destroyed in the strike.

Residents of Saratov and Engels, cities flanking the Volga River, awoke to air raid sirens and a barrage of explosions around 4 a.m. local time, with at least four blasts reported by the Russian Telegram channel Mash. The independent news outlet Astra corroborated accounts of detonations near the air base, while the Shot Telegram channel noted a fire at a nearby oil depot, though Russian officials have yet to confirm damage to oil infrastructure. The SBU source accused Russian air defenses of being “ineffective,” alleging they misfired missiles toward civilian areas in Engels and Saratov.

Governor Roman Busargin reported two civilian injuries in Engels, alongside damage to approximately 30 homes, a hospital, two kindergartens, and a school, where windows were shattered. A state of emergency was declared in the Engels district, and evacuations began for residents near the blazing airfield. Flight restrictions were temporarily imposed at Saratov and Samara airports as the chaos unfolded. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its forces downed 132 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 54 over Saratov Oblast, with others intercepted across Voronezh, Belgorod, Rostov, Kursk, Lipetsk, and occupied Crimea.

The Engels-2 base, operational since 1954, hosts the 184th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment and the 121st Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment. Its fleet includes the Soviet-era Tu-95, capable of carrying 16 Kh-55 or Kh-101 cruise missiles; the supersonic Tu-22, armed with Kh-22 missiles that challenge Ukraine’s defenses; and the Tu-160, the world’s largest operational bomber, which can deploy up to 24 Kh-15s. These aircraft have been central to Russia’s aerial campaign against Ukraine, making the base a prime target.

This isn’t the first time Engels has come under fire. A Ukrainian drone strike on December 5, 2022, damaged two Tu-95s, prompting the British Ministry of Defense to label it a major failure of Russian force protection. Further attempts that month caused limited damage, though Russia redistributed some aircraft in response. Most recently, a January attack ignited an ammunition depot at the base. Thursday’s strike, however, stands out for its scale and impact, underscoring Ukraine’s growing reach and resolve to disrupt Russia’s war machine deep within its borders. (ILKHA)