Published: · Region: Eastern Europe · Category: conflict

Ukraine Reportedly Hits Tu‑95 Bomber at Russia’s Engels-2 Base for Second Time in Weeks

A Ukrainian strike reportedly damaged a Russian Tu‑95 bomber at Engels‑2 airbase near Saratov, the second such aircraft hit there in recent weeks.

A Russian Tu‑95 bomber has reportedly been damaged in a new strike on the Engels‑2 airbase near Saratov, extending Ukraine’s campaign against high-value targets deep inside Russian territory.

Monitoring channels say the Tu‑95 “Bear” at Engels‑2 was attacked and that at least one wing was damaged. If confirmed, this would be the second Tu‑95 reported hit at the same base in recent weeks, after another was said to have been destroyed there on 16 July.

Engels‑2 is a key hub for Russia’s long-range aviation, hosting Tu‑95 and other bombers used to launch cruise missiles at targets in Ukraine. Strikes on the base therefore carry operational significance as well as symbolic weight.

Russian authorities have not released detailed information about damage from the latest incident, and independent satellite imagery confirming the extent of destruction has not yet been widely published.

The reported hit fits into a broader pattern of Ukrainian attacks on military infrastructure far from the front lines, using drones and other long-range means to reach airfields and logistics nodes inside Russia.

Analysts are watching for corroborating imagery from commercial satellites, signs that Russia is dispersing its bomber fleet to other airbases, and further Ukrainian attempts to reach long-range aviation and missile sites across Russia.

Sources

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