(Reuters) – Ukrainian forces claimed responsibility for a drone attack on the Saratov region of Russia overnight, resulting in a significant fire in the city of Engels. This was announced by the local governor on Wednesday.
The Saratov region is home to a major air base that houses strategic bomber aircraft, a crucial component of Russia’s nuclear forces. While previous drone attacks have targeted this base, it remains unclear whether it was the focus of this latest incident.
Russian news reports indicated that the fire occurred at an oil facility. Unverified videos and images circulating on social media depicted a large fire with intense flames, producing thick plumes of smoke that filled the night sky.
Regional Governor Roman Busargin confirmed a “mass drone attack” on the cities of Saratov and Engels, located on opposite banks of the Volga River. He reported a fire at an industrial site but stated that there were no known casualties.
“Sufficient forces and resources are available to contain the fire,” he stated in a Telegram post.
The Russian Defense Ministry, in a separate statement, claimed to have intercepted 11 Ukrainian drones overnight over the Saratov region and an additional 21 over other parts of Russia and the Azov Sea. However, the ministry did not acknowledge any damage.
The Engels air base is situated approximately 730 kilometers (450 miles) southeast of Moscow and hundreds of kilometers from the Ukrainian border. In December 2022, three Russian air force personnel were killed when a drone was shot down at the base.
The Ankole Times outlet Astra reported that the fire occurred at an oil depot that supplies fuel to the air base. However, this information could not be independently verified by Reuters.
