In fact, two Russian air bases were targeted by drones. If Russian defenses stopped them, the debris that fell to the ground caused explosions. Result: At least three Russian soldiers were killed and four wounded. The Russian Defense Ministry said two planes were “slightly” damaged.
If the attack does not seem large-scale at first glance, the fact that the sponsors are Ukrainians is well established, but it is a warning to Vladimir Putin.
First, both air bases are located several hundred kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Tyagilev’s area is in Ryazan and Engels-2 in Saratov (not far from the border with Kazakhstan). The attack on these two locations represents the most “deep” attack by Ukrainians in Russia.
Moscow does not protect its planes
Later, according to former Russian Air Force lieutenant Gleb Irisov, the Engels base was one of the “key airfields for Russia’s strategic aviation.” “If indeed the Ukrainian base can be reached, it shows that the country is making a lot of progress in its ability to reach bases that are far from the battlefield”, analyzed with the Guardian, who left the military in 2020, adding, “It is clear that Russia has not prepared plans to protect air bases inside the country”. Rob Lee, a researcher specializing in policy, added: According to him, Moscow is “too slow to protect its air fleet”, and other strikes have already hit Russia.
According to Rob Lee, the drone strike could be Q’s “pre-emptive strike” to deter Putin from continuing to target Ukrainian energy infrastructure. According to the expert, the Diakulevo base is home to a fleet of tanker aircraft that are vital for the Russian Navy’s in-flight refueling. In Engels-2, it has a squadron of heavy bombers that were recently used to attack Ukraine.
So far, Kyiv has not confirmed that it was behind the drone strikes on Russian soil. The Russian Defense Ministry accused Ukrainian forces of trying to “jail Russian long-range aircraft”.
“Total coffee junkie. Tv ninja. Unapologetic problem solver. Beer expert.”