Ukrainian General Staff: Engels oil depot attack cripples Russian bomber operations

The targeted Kristal plant supplied fuel to the Engels-2 military airfield, where Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers regularly launch missiles at Ukrainian civilian and infrastructure facilities.

The attack had a significant logistical impact on Russian strategic aviation, hampering its ability to strike Ukraine.

Earlier in the day, residents of Engels reported a series of about 25 powerful explosions with bright flashes in the sky, followed by a large fire at an oil depot.

Several drones were reportedly shot down by air defenses, and "the debris set fire to an industrial facility. Firefighters and emergency services are on the scene," Saratov Oblast Governor Roman Busargin claimed in his Telegram post. The attack was later confirmed by OSINT analysts.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have intercepted 11 drones over the oblast during the night.