In what is being called Ukraine’s largest drone attack on Russia to date, the Ukrainian Air Force hit Russia’s Engels-2 Air Base, home of the latter’s strategic bomber fleet. Major explosions were seen at the site:

There was a massive explosion at Engels Airfield in Russia. This airbase is frequently used for launching airstrikes against Ukraine and for loading bombers with missiles. Many secondary explosions continue, suggesting that an ammunition depot was hit. Images from this morning… pic.twitter.com/z5qBfG22Cn

— GeoInsider (@InsiderGeo) March 20, 2025

The damage appears to be significant.

Damage from Ukraine’s strike on Russia’s Engels air base is visible in new satellite imagery released by @Maxar.

This base is more than 600 kilometers from Ukrainian territory still controlled by Kyiv and has been targeted several times since Russia’s full-scale invasion. pic.twitter.com/VyxdFwprCB

— Brady Africk (@bradyafr) March 21, 2025

At The New York Sun, James Brooke explains that the drones Ukraine is using are homegrown variants “equivalents of single-engine Piper Cubs.” He writes:

Bearing the name of communist philosopher Friedrich Engels, the air base is the sole operations center for Russia’s most expensive strategic bomber, the sweep-winged Tupolev Tu-160, known in the West by its NATO codename, Blackjack. Explosions blew debris over a three-mile radius. Parked along the two-mile-long concrete runway were Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers.

Russia uses these nuclear-capable aircraft to launch cruise missile attacks against Ukrainian cities. Ukraine reportedly acted on intelligence that indicated a new load of Kh-101 and Kh-55 cruise missiles had recently been stored at an ammunition depot adjacent to the runway.

Watch as what is reportedly one of the drones flies overhead:

Engels – a major military airfield.
Clearly air defence was not good enough.

A mix of improved Ukraine weaponry, overwhelming air defence and/or previously taking out radars to strip the base of protection.

Even during the attack, drones were filmed flying smoothly overhead. pic.twitter.com/2HzupAz5df

— Tim White (@TWMCLtd) March 20, 2025