Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Flames rose from Russia's Engels-2 military airfield in Saratov Oblast overnight on July 25, according to photos and videos shared by local residents.
Eyewitnesses reported a large fire at the air base and published footage of smoke and flames at the site, which is home to Russia's strategic aircraft, including the Tu-95 long-range bomber.
An open-source analysis by the independent Russian news channel Astra determined that the fire was close to the Engels-2 air base. The burning building is believed to house a Russian military unit.
The cause of the fire remains unclear. Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry announced a drone threat over Saratov Oblast the night of the fire, but locals said they did not hear any sounds of an attack.
While the air base has frequently been targeted in previous Ukrainian drone strikes, the current fire may not be related to a long-range attack, according to monitoring channels.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the reports at the time of publication, and neither Russian nor Ukrainian officials have commented on the fire at the airfield.
Located in the Saratov Oblast, nearly 600 kilometers (370 miles) from Ukraine's front line, Engels air base – also known as Engels-2 – houses the 184th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment and 121st Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment.
Russia keeps a fleet of strategic military aircraft at the base, including the Tu-95, the Tu-22, and the Tu-160 heavy bombers. These planes are all regularly used to launch missiles at Ukrainian cities.
The latest reported fire comes just over a week after the Ukrainian military on July 17 said it destroyed a Russian Tu-95 strategic bomber in a drone attack on Engels airfield.
Ukraine's State Security Agency (SBU) said the plane suffered "critical damage," with the attack completely severing its tail section. The announcement came after Russian monitoring channels reported an attack against the base on July 16.
Engels has been targeted by Ukrainian drone strikes numerous times since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
"Russian strategic aviation can no longer feel safe even at its most remote military airfields," the SBU said after reporting the destruction of the Tu-95.
Disastrous_Stick8148 on July 25th, 2026 at 03:47 UTC »
I remember in the in the early stages of the war reading a statement from an Russian grandmother. She was saying something along the lines of:
"we should never have attacked Ukraine, they are going to win. They made the best weapons for the Sovjet union".
Old babushka knew her stuff.
martmart75 on July 25th, 2026 at 03:05 UTC »
I remember a long time ago reading about building an army of drones, from that moment everything was possible, we just needed a bit of patience for the day to arrive.
schu4KSU on July 25th, 2026 at 02:45 UTC »
I never would have guessed Russia would get their ass kicked by Ukraine.