Three dead In Drone Attack On Russian Bomber Base

Three persons were killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on a bomber facility in southern Russia.

The drone was shot down near the Engels base, but falling debris killed three technical employees, according to the military ministry.

Russia accused Ukraine earlier this month of a similar strike on the airbase, which is home to bombers that have carried out missile attacks on Ukraine.

The base is located roughly 500 kilometers (310 miles) north of Ukraine’s border.

The Ukrainian military has not formally taken responsibility for the new attack, but air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said the explosions were caused by Russia’s actions on Ukrainian territory.

The latest incident, coming so soon after the two 5 December attacks hundreds of kilometers from the front line – both at the Engels base and in the Ryazan region – will be an embarrassment to Russian authorities.

Russia also blamed falling debris for the deaths of three servicemen and the minor damage to two aircraft.

Early Monday, social media users shared recordings of explosions and air sirens near Engels Airfield.

Russia’s defense ministry later stated that its air defenses shot down the low-flying drone about 01:35 on Monday (22:35 GMT Sunday).

Saratov governor Roman Busargin extended his sympathies to the men’s families and friends, and stated that there was “absolutely no threat to citizens” in the town of Engels.

According to a Ukrainian air force spokesman, satellite imagery of the airfield will soon disclose the entire extent of the damage from Monday’s attack, and prior blasts had damaged planes at the facility.

Since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, it has regularly used the Engels air station to launch missile strikes on numerous targets in Ukraine.

The Kremlin has previously accused Ukraine of invading its territory, but the most recent instances have occurred much deeper within Russian territory.

After the 5 December attacks, there were widespread calls for tightened security around Russian military installations.

Al Jazeera