Earlier today, December 5, 2022, there were reports that an unknown drone fell on the runway of the Engels Airfield in Saratov oblast of the russian federation. According to some claims, two Tu-95MS strategic bombers were damaged as a result of the explosion. The explosion was so strong that it was heard in a residential area a few kilometers from the airport, as evidenced by the corresponding video.
Geolocation shows that this video was taken at the show place below. That is, a few kilometers from the Engels airfield, literally opposite the runway.
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Defense Express notes that Engels Airfield is the regular air base of the 121st and 184th heavy bomber aviation regiments, armed with Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers.
In addition, there was also a report that today there was a strong explosion at "one of the airfields" of Razyan oblast in russia. According to the official version, this is how a gasoline truck exploded at the airport. But as russia’s military correspondents already complain, this "fuel truck explosion" is the strongest in their memory, since there are 2 dead and 3 wounded already.
It is quite likely that it’s the Dyagilevo Airfield, which was also used for missile attacks on the infrastructure of Ukraine.
In both cases, these objects located more than 600 kilometers from the state border of Ukraine. The Armed Forces of Ukraine do not have such long-range weapons.
Therefore, it is quite possible that improvised means were used, for example, the Soviet Tu-141 drones, which can carry up to 150kg of payload and have a flight range of up to 1000km.
Unfortunately, we cannot yet claim that today's explosions can force russians to abandon missile attacks on Ukraine. Even if two Tu-95MS are damaged at once, russians have about 60 such bombers, of which at least 20 units are operational.
After all, satellite images show that at the beginning of December of this year, the number of russia’s aircraft at the Engels Airfield decreased a bit, that is, the result was potentially less than desired.
But on the other hand, the very demonstration of the ability to "retrieve" russia’s objects more than half a thousand kilometers deep into enemy territory has a significant symbolic meaning for Ukrainian spirit. In much the same way that the American Doolittle Raid in 1942 over Tokyo was important to the American victory over Japan in 1945.
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