Russia says shot down Ukrainian drone near bomber airbase, 3 killed
- Russia says military airbase in the Saratov region, some 600km from Ukraine territory, was targeted by drone
- Engels airbase, which houses nuclear-capable Russian strategic bombers, was also targeted on December 5
Three Russian military personnel were killed early on Monday by falling wreckage of a Ukrainian drone that was shot down as it was attacking a base in Russia’s Saratov region, Russian news agencies reported, citing the defence ministry.
It was the second attack on the base this month.
“A Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down at low altitude while approaching the Engels military airfield in the Saratov region,” news agencies reported the Russian ministry as saying.
“As a result of the fall of the wreckage of the drone, three Russian servicemen of the technical staff who were at the airfield were fatally wounded.”
Engels airbase, which is at least 600km from the nearest Ukrainian-held territory, has housed bomber planes that are part of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces.
Drone strikes deep in Russia expose vulnerabilities, as Moscow blames Ukraine
The strikes earlier this month dealt Moscow a major reputational blow and raised questions about why its defences failed, analysts said, as attention turned to the use of drones in the war between neighbours.
Ukraine has previously demonstrated the ability to strike strategic Russian targets far beyond the 1,100km-long front line in south and eastern Ukraine.
In August, at least seven Russian warplanes were destroyed by explosions at a Russian airbase on the southwest coast of Russian-annexed Crimea.
Ukraine has never publicly claimed responsibility for attacks inside Russia, but has said, however, that such incidents are “karma” for Russia’s invasion.
The Russian defence ministry said that aviation equipment was not damaged but according to unofficial Russian and Ukrainian social media reports a number of planes was destroyed.
Earlier on Monday, Roman Busargin, the governor of the Saratov region, said that civil infrastructure facilities were not damaged in the incident.
“There is absolutely no threat to residents … Civil infrastructure facilities were not damaged,” Busargin said.
He warned locals against spreading “fake information”, citing Russia’s strict laws adopted in the wake of its Ukraine offensive at the end of February.
“All stories about the evacuation from the city are blatant lies, created far from the borders of our country,” he said.
Additional reporting by Associated Press and Agence France-Presse
