Ellie Cook
Drones attacked a southwestern Russian city, home of one of Russia's strategic bomber bases overnight, according to Russian authorities.An unspecified number of drones were destroyed over the city of Engels in Russia's Saratov Oblast, regional governor Roman Busargin said in a post to the Telegram messaging app on Wednesday. The Russian official did not offer any information on how many uncrewed vehicles were shot down, nor precise details on the target of the drones.
Three of four drones fell close to the military airbase just outside of the city, independent Russian Telegram channel Astra reported, citing anonymous sources. The fourth drone is unaccounted for by the channel. Russia's Defense Ministry said early on Wednesday that four drones were intercepted over the Saratov region, but did not elaborate.
The Engels-2 airbase houses Russian Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers, which have repeatedly launched missile strikes on Ukraine throughout the more than two years of war. The bombers are part of Russia's long-range aviation forces, capable of carrying out nuclear and conventional long-range strikes.
Engels-2 is around 300 miles from the Ukrainian border, deep in Russian territory. Kyiv has previously targeted the base with drones.
Ukrainian media reported on Wednesday that Kyiv's military intelligence agency, the GUR, had orchestrated the drone attack. Ukraine rarely officially takes responsibility for strikes on internationally-recognized Russian territory.
Newsweek has reached out to the GUR for comment via email.
"The air defense system worked promptly and effectively," Busargin said. "There were no casualties or damage to infrastructure from falling debris."
The Astra Telegram channel published footage purportedly showing the attack, the black and white footage appearing to show an explosion and then several car alarms going off. Russian Telegram channel Shot, posting separate footage, said local residents in Engels heard explosions that shook window frames.
Ukraine has targeted the Engels base numerous times. In early December 2022, Russia said three people were killed in a two-pronged drone attack on Engels-2 and Dyagilevo, an airbase in Russia's Ryazan region. Ukraine used "Soviet-made unmanned jet aerial vehicles" to try to "disable Russian long-range aircraft," Moscow said at the time.
On December 26, 2022, Moscow then said three people had been killed in another Ukrainian strike on the Engels-2 base.
In September 2023, footage emerged on Ukrainian Telegram channels appearing to show Soviet-era Tu-141 reconnaissance drones being prepared for the attacks in early December the previous year.
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