At least 30 loud explosions over the Russian administrative center of Saratov and the nearby city of Engels were reported by local Telegram channels early on March 28, posting videos from the cities with the sounds of air raid sirens in the background.
Residents spotted a number of drones flying toward the local oil refinery and the Engels air base shortly after regional Governor Roman Busargin warned of a possible UAV attack.
Engels-2, the main airbase for bomber operations and Russia's only site for the Tupolev Tu-160 (NATO: Blackjack) strategic bomber, is located 14 kilometers east of Saratov. On March 20, it was the target of a coordinated drone attack by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) and Special Operations Forces (SSO).
According to the General Staff report, a stockpile of 96 air-launched cruise missiles intended for three missile strikes on Ukraine in March and April, as well as aviation fuel storage facilities, were destroyed.