Ukrainian Double-Tap Drone Strike Disrupts Russia’s Bomber Fleet

Ukrainian drones struck near Russia’s Engels Air Force Base in Saratov on January 8 and 14, temporarily disrupting the operations of the Kremlin’s long-range strategic bombers, according to Forbes on January 14.

Engels is home to Russia’s Tupolev Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers, which have been used extensively to launch missile strikes on Ukrainian cities.

The first strike ignited a massive fire at a fuel depot near the base, reportedly containing up to 800,000 tons of fuel. The blaze raged for six days before being extinguished.

A second wave of drones hit the same area on January 14, intensifying the disruption.

Such Ukrainian strikes aim to constrain Russia’s ability to conduct air raids on Ukraine, even if only temporarily. While destroying a single fuel depot won’t halt missile strikes entirely, repeated drone assaults could significantly slow Russian operations. Ukrainian drones, capable of flying long distances and carrying substantial explosive payloads, are at the forefront of this strategy.

Earlier, a storage facility for reconnaissance drones in Russia’s Rostov region was hit using drones and a Neptune missile.