New attack on nuclear bomber base in Russia kills 3

A drone strike on Monday hit Russia’s main nuclear-capable bomber base in Saratov, 800 km from the Ukrainian border. At least three pilots died on the ground.

The Russians say the victims were hit by debris from an old Soviet long-range drone, presumably launched from Kiev – which has not commented on the strike, the second of its kind against the Engels-2 base.

It is the most important strategic bomber operation center in Russia, hosting the entire fleet of 16 supersonic Tu-160s, the largest aircraft of its kind in the world, in addition to operating large four-engined Tu-95 turboprops. Engels-2 has a bunker of nuclear weapons that can be fired by these planes.

But what made it a target again was its role in the Ukraine War: bombers also fly from there to launch, still from Russian airspace, cruise missiles against positions in the country invaded by Vladimir Putin ten months ago.

Russian military bloggers took to the net to doubt the official version, as according to reports the pilots were killed in their accommodation. There is also unconfirmed information from Moscow that planes would have been hit – in a similar action at the beginning of the month, at least two bombers were damaged at another base, this one close to the capital.

So far, there have been two attacks against Engels-2, one against the Diaguilevo base, in Ryazan, and a third against the Kursk airfield, closer to Ukraine. This Monday there were rumors of explosions also in Diaguilevo, but without confirmation.

These acts have a great symbolic component, as they bring the conflict to the heart of Russia, where the Kremlin’s propaganda seeks to dilute the ink of its gravity — even though, for the first time, Putin called it a “war” last week, contradicting the official policy that punishes those who do this.

Militarily, it suggests that the Russians have not located, for the second time in a month, an enemy drone flying over 800 km of their territory, although the practical effect is not very great. More important was the destruction of perhaps half of the Black Sea Fleet’s air component in the 2014 annexed Crimea in August.

Adding to the tension, the Russian FSB (Federal Security Service) said it had killed four Ukrainian saboteurs who were trying to enter the Briansk border region. There is speculation that smaller drones may have been used in attacks being launched by infiltrators on Russian soil.

The action against Engels-2 came after President Volodimir Zelensky promised revenge for the attacks over the Christmas weekend, which left people dead and further undermined the country’s energy infrastructure — which is struggling with a harsh winter without electricity or heating in several cities. , including Kiev.

At the same time, Moscow launched a large artillery barrage from Sunday (25) to Monday, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. Dozens of cities were hit, said the folder, in the regions of Lugansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizia, which Putin annexed on paper in September, and also in Kharkiv.