Satellite images published on Thursday show Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers at a base near the city of Engels in Russia’s Saratov Oblast before a Ukrainian drone attack.
The two photos, dated March 19, are from California-based global imaging company Planet Labs and were obtained by Schemes, a project by U.S.-funded Radio Liberty.
Krym.realii, the Crimean project of the Ukrainian service of the Liberty station, said there were 11 aircraft at the Engels-2 airbase, including nine bombers—six Tu-95s and three Tu-160s—on the day of the attack.
The military base is located some 500 miles southeast of Moscow. Russia’s strategic bombers use the airfield to attack targets in Ukraine.
Ukrainian drones hit targets at airfield in Russia’s Engels – media.
Ukrainian-made drones were used in the attack on Engels, Radio Liberty has cited its sources in the HUR. The intelligence service said that “the targets were hit” but did not specify which ones.
An airfield of… pic.twitter.com/xRTT2G2RQ8
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) March 20, 2024
Drones attacked the region on the night of March 20, according to the governor Roman Busargin, who said on his Telegram channel that an unspecified number of drones were destroyed over Engels. Independent Russian publication Astra said three of four drones fell close to the military airbase just outside the city.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported four destroyed drones over the Saratov region, and said another was shot down over the Belgorod region.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian Ministry of Defense for comment via email.
RBC-Ukraine, citing unnamed sources, reported that the Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) was behind an attack on the military airfield, which was been targeted several times throughout the war.
Newsweek has contacted the GUR for comment by email.
In December 2022, a drone attack at the Engels-2 airbase killed six Russian military personnel. The Russian Defense Ministry said air-defense systems had shot down the drones and that the military personnel died as a result of falling debris.
In January, the ministry said a drone had been downed over the Saratov region. Astra said that two drones were shot down over the Engels-2 airbase.
In recent months, Russia appears to have adopted measures to protect its aircraft amid an uptick in attacks on its airbases.
A satellite image dated September 1, 2023, posted on X (formerly Twitter) by user Tatarigami_UA, a self-described Ukrainian military officer in the reserves, showed Russia’s military had covered the wings of a Tu-95 strategic bomber with car tires.
The user said Russian forces were deploying the tactic at the military airfield in Engels to deter drone attacks.
Russia’s Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers are capable of carrying out nuclear and conventional long-range strikes.
YURI KADOBNOV/AFP/Getty Images
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