Major Drone Assault Targets Engels Airbase, Ignites Fire and Causes Casualties in Russias Saratov Region

Ukrainian drone attacks ignited a fire at a military airfield in Russia’s southern Saratov region, injuring at least two individuals, local officials reported on Thursday.

«Residents from a nearby agricultural cooperative are being evacuated for safety because of the fire at the [Engels] airfield,» stated Saratov region Governor Roman Busargin in a Telegram post.

The Engels-2 airfield, which serves as a base for Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons, is situated approximately 500 kilometers (about 300 miles) east of the Ukrainian border and 730 kilometers (around 454 miles) southeast of Moscow. It has faced multiple attacks since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Images from the Telegram channel Astra, known for covering both Russian and Ukrainian military actions, depicted significant smoke rising from an area in Engels located roughly 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) west of the airfield.

Busargin characterized this assault as the «largest drone strike» to hit the Saratov region since the onset of the conflict. He indicated that other strikes also affected the regional capital, Saratov, resulting in property damage but no reported injuries.

According to Busargin and Russian investigators, two individuals sustained injuries in Engels, while a hospital, two kindergartens, a school, and at least 30 residential buildings were harmed.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that its air defenses intercepted 132 Ukrainian drones during the night across six regions, including occupied Crimea, with 54 of those intercepted in the Saratov area.