Ukraine is attacking the Russian cities of Saratov and Engels with drones, in whose area strategic bombers are stationed, the governor of the Russian Saratov region Roman Busargin said, quoted by Reuters, BTA reported.
Busargin said that the two cities were subjected to a massive attack by drones and that damage was caused to an industrial plant, but did not say whether the Engels air base was hit. The governor of Saratov added that as a result of the attack, a fire broke out at an industrial plant and that there were no reports of casualties or injuries so far.
Some Russian media outlets published photos showing buildings engulfed in large flames. The channel on “Telegram“ The Russian media outlet “Baza“ reported that the fire broke out near an oil refinery. The Engels air base is home to long-range bombers that are part of Russia's strategic nuclear forces. The city is located about 730 km southeast of Moscow and hundreds of kilometers from the border with Ukraine.
This is not the first time Kiev has attacked the Engels air base. In December 2022, three Russian Air Force personnel were killed in a drone strike on the base. Oleksandr Kamyshin, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, said the military used long-range Ukrainian-made weapons in the attack.
The Ukrainian General Staff, quoted by Ukrinform, reported multiple explosions and a large fire at the "Krystal" oil depot, which it said provides fuel for the "Engels-2" military airfield, where the Russian fleet of strategic bombers is based.
🔥 “It's humming, they're hit the target, you know?” - local resident
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) January 8, 2025
Morning footage of the aftermath of the Ukrainian drone attack on the “Kristall” oil storage facility in Engels has appeared
According to preliminary information, one of the tanks designed to store fuel for… pic.twitter.com/kW2r6bN1nC