Engels air base
Engels, Saratov Oblast
Heavy Bomber Regiment (unit # – 85927)
Belongs to the 22nd Heavy Bomber Division (HQ in Engels, Saratov Oblast) of the Long Range Aviation Command (HQ in Moscow)
Tu-160 heavy strategic bombers
Tu-95MSM and Tu-95MS strategic bombers
Deliveries of Tu-160M heavy strategic bombers planned in 2021 (https://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/7701585)
On December 5, 2022, explosions rocked two rear airfields – Engels near Saratov and Dyagilevo near Ryazan. At Engels, two strategic Tu-95 bombers used for long-range missile launches against Ukraine were damaged, while at Dyagilevo, a Tu-22M3 bomber and a refueling aircraft were damaged. Later, Ukrainian intelligence reported that modified Soviet Tu-141 Strizh drones were used in the attack. Both airfields are hundreds of kilometers away from the Ukrainian border.
Drones attacked Engels again within a few weeks, with the latest strike occurring on March 20, 2024. Reports indicated damage to at least two aircraft. Andrii Yusov, a representative of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, did not comment on who was involved in the operation but mentioned that the results were being clarified.