Local Governor Roman Busargin confirmed a fire at the airbase and said at least two civilians were injured in the city of Engels, where around 30 houses suffered damage. Windows at a local hospital, two kindergartens, and a school were also broken. Russian Telegram channels reported air raid alerts and at least four explosions around 4 a.m. local time.
Officials declared a state of emergency in the Engels district and imposed temporary flight restrictions at the Saratov and Samara airports. The area, located roughly 450 kilometers from the Ukraine border, hosts the Engels-2 airbase used by strategic bombers for regular strikes on Ukraine.
Russian claims of downed drones
The Russian Defense Ministry said it intercepted 132 Ukrainian drones in a single night, including 54 over Saratov Oblast, 40 in Voronezh Oblast, and the rest in Belgorod, Rostov, Kursk, Lipetsk, and occupied Crimea. Ukraine has not commented, and the figures could not be independently verified.
Engels has been targeted multiple times since December 2022, including drone strikes that allegedly damaged two Tu-95 bombers. While drone attacks in January caused a fire at an ammunition depot on the airfield, Russia reportedly relocated some aircraft to other bases in response to earlier incidents.
(jh)
Source: Kyiv Independent, Ukrinform, BBC Russia