Russian airbase in Saratov’s Engels under attack again: Russia claims “Ukrainian” UAV downed but three troops killed

Last night Russian Telegram channels mass shared several videos reportedly from the Russian town of Engels, Saratov Oblast, showing the glow and sound of a powerful explosion allegedly at the strategic aviation air base, and an air raid siren going off: https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1607296177174634497 The Engels-2 air base is a strategic bomber operations base located about 600 km from the Ukrainian border. It comes under attack for the second time this month.

"On 26 December at about 01:35 Moscow time (00:35 EET, - Ed.), a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down at low altitude by the air defense means of the Russian Aerospace Forces while approaching the Engels military airfield in Saratov Oblast," the Russian Defense Ministry claimed, adding that "As a result of the fall of the wreckage of the drone, three Russian military personnel of the technical staff who were at the airfield were fatally wounded. Aviation equipment was not damaged."

Ukrainian officials neither confirmed nor denied an attack on the Russian airfield or the alleged Ukrainian involvement in it. The last twin attack on Russia's Dyagilevo (Ryazan Oblast) and Engels (Saratov Oblast) air bases occurred on 5 December hundreds of kilometers into Russia away from the Ukrainian border. The Russian Defense Ministry blamed Ukrainian drones for the attacks while Ukraine never publicly claimed responsibility for the strikes that damaged at least two Russian strategic bombers. Read also:

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