UK Ministry of Defence Confirms Ukraine’s UAS Strike on Russian Engels-2 Airbase

The UK Ministry of Defence on March 25, published an update confirming that Ukrainian forces were successfully targeted in an Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS)  attack, a Russian munitions storage facility at the Engels-2 Strategic Aviation airbase between March 19 and 20.

The Russian airbase, located approximately 600 km from Ukraine’s border, has been heavily utilized by Russia for strike operations. which has been used extensively for strike operations, sustained significant damage from the attack, according to an update from Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, published on March 25.

The strike, in the Ministry’s statement, was considered Ukraine’s most successful targeting of a Russian munitions depot in 2025 to date. It continues a pattern of Ukrainian UAS strikes deep into Russian territory, demonstrating the ongoing challenges faced by Russian air defense systems in securing their critical military assets.

The UK Ministry of Defence stated that the damage to the facility will force Russia to adjust its defensive posture and replenish its munitions stockpiles. Russian aircraft, it is assumed, have been dispersed to other airfields as part of standard protocols in response to the Ukrainian deep-strike operations.

The ammunition storage facility likely contained a range of munitions used in operations against Ukraine, and its destruction is expected to disrupt Russian air operations from the Engels-2 airfield in the short term.

The Head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, Andrii Kovalenko, confirmed that the strike inflicted substantial losses on the Russian military.

“At Engels, as a result of the strike, the Russians lost missiles, including Kh-101. The exact number will be determined later. This airbase stores the largest stockpile of missiles used by Russia’s strategic aviation for strikes against Ukraine,” Kovalenko stated.