Russia’s air defence system took down a Ukrainian drone over the Engels military airfield in the Saratov region last night, claims the country’s Defence Ministry.
Three Russian servicemen suffered lethal wounds but no aircraft were damaged, the agency says.
Roman Busargin, the local governor, said on his Telegram earlier that law enforcement agencies had been investigating “an incident at a military facility in Engels”. No civilian infrastructure was damaged, he says.
“Information about an incident in Engels is being spread on social media and news outlets. No incidents in residential quarters of the town, and no threat to people’s lives. The rumours regarding the town’s evacuation are blatant lies created far outside our country,” he wrote.
The Baza Telegram channel reported explosions in Engels earlier. Air raid systems were activated, and locals reported blasts in the town. Three were killed in the incident, and four more were admitted to hospital.
Ostorozhno Novosti says the explosion occurred at the Engels-2 military airfield which serves as the base of Russia’s Aerospace Forces. Fire brigades and other emergency services headed to the area.
An attack by Ukraine’s drone killed three servicemen and injured four at the Dyagilevo airfield in Russia’s Ryazan region and the Engels airfield in the Saratov region on 5 December, as per Defence Ministry.
Another drone attacked an airfield located in the Kursk region of Russia, setting an oil storage tank on fire the following day. It took more than a day and over 200 firefighters and 3 fire trains to put out the flame.
An administrative building in the Bryansk region, a Russian region bordering Ukraine, was destroyed by a drone strike on 20 December, as per the local governor.
