Ukrainian drones targeted the Russian air force’s Engels bomber base near the city of Saratov in southern Russia, causing a blaze that lasted for six days. The blasts struck a depot containing over 800,000 tons of fuel, weakening Russia’s ability to wage war against Ukraine.
The attacks were part of a wider wave of drone raids targeting fuel and munitions storage facilities, oil refineries, and other targets. Ukrainian officials stated that each damaged facility weakens Russia’s capacity to attack Ukraine.
Two consecutive strikes occurred on Tuesday, with the first attack triggering the blaze and the second strike taking place hours later. The Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communication praised the drone attacks, saying “there will be no rest for the wicked.”
The drones involved in the attacks are believed to be between six and 10 feet long and propeller-driven. Ukraine has developed a range of long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, including some based on modified sport planes that can reach distances of over 800 miles with explosives.
While the drone strikes may not stop Russia’s missile raids entirely, they aim to constrain Russian air raids on Ukrainian cities. The Engels base holds rare fuel for Russia’s strategic bombers, which have been responsible for thousands of Ukrainian casualties.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he held a staff meeting focused on drone development and its usage, with reports on production contracts and solutions to improve the effectiveness of drones against Russian forces.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2025/01/14/ukrainian-drones-flew-400-miles-to-double-tap-a-russian-bomber-base