Ukraine Drone Strike Sparks Huge Blast At Russia’s Nuclear Bomber Base | WATCH

On Thursday, Ukraine launched a drone assault on Russia's Engels strategic bomber base, resulting in a massive explosion and fire approximately 700 km (435 miles) from the war's front lines, according to Russian officials cited by Reuters.

Footage shared on Russian Telegram channels, which Reuters authenticated, captured a massive blast at the airfield that caused damage to nearby cottages.

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Russia's defence ministry reported that its air defences downed 132 Ukrainian drones across various Russian regions.

A separate video, confirmed by Reuters based on the layout and shape of the buildings, depicted a column of smoke rising over wrecked cottages.

Per the Reuters report, the Engels bomber base, established in the early Soviet era, is home to Russia's Tupolev Tu-160 nuclear-capable heavy strategic bombers, informally dubbed White Swans.

Roman Busargin, the governor of Saratov, stated that a Ukrainian drone strike had hit the city of Engels, setting an airfield ablaze and prompting the evacuation of nearby residents. While he did not explicitly name the Engels base, it is the primary airfield in the vicinity.

Engels district head Maxim Leonov informed Reuters that a local state of emergency had been declared, though he provided scant details. Reuters could not independently verify the events at the airfield.

Ukraine has a history of targeting the Engels air base, with attacks dating back to December 2022. In January, it claimed to have hit an oil depot supporting the base, sparking a massive fire that took five days to extinguish.

A Ukrainian security source at the time revealed that a drone strike had targeted a storage facility at the Engels base containing guided bombs and missiles.

Ukraine Strikes Oil Refinery in Syzran

Ukraine also attacked an oil refinery in the city of Syzran, located in Russia's Samara region, overnight, according to the regional governor quoted by Reuters.

"Emergency services are working on the territory of the enterprise. According to preliminary information, there are no casualties," Vyacheslav Fedorishchev posted on the Telegram messaging app.

He did not clarify whether the refinery sustained damage. However, the Baza and Mash Telegram channels reported that the strike ignited a fire.

Russia's Defence Ministry stated that air defence systems had neutralised nine Ukrainian drones overnight across the Bryansk, Tatarstan, and Tula regions, as well as over the Black Sea.