Saratov and Engels came under a large-scale drone attack throughout the night. The Telegram channel Krymsky Veter reported explosions and flashes, while Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed more than a hundred drones were shot down.
The Russian cities of Saratov and Engels were hit by a massive overnight UAV attack. Local residents reported “pops” and explosions from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., and bright flashes were seen over Saratov. Due to the attack, restrictions were imposed on arrivals and departures at Gagarin Airport. Near Saratov is the military airbase “Engels-2,” used by Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers, as well as the Saratov oil refinery.
At the same time, Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed that its air-defence forces allegedly shot down 136 Ukrainian drones overnight. According to its statement, 46 drones were downed over the Rostov region, 30 over the Saratov region, 29 over the annexed Crimea, 12 over the Black Sea, six over the Bryansk region, five over the Volgograd region, two over the Voronezh region, two over the Moscow area, two over the Sea of Azov, and one each over the Kursk and Kaluga regions.