Engels-2 Airbase's Havoc: Drone Strike's Aftermath
Video evidence reveals destruction at a Russian nuclear bomber facility.
Early Thursday, the Russian airbase Engels-2 in southern Russia faced a relentless barrage from a lone Ukrainian drone. Witnesses claim to have heard swift explosions and seen a plume of thick smoke wafting from the vicinity. A fresh satellite image unveils the scale of the chaos.
In a follow-up day, satellite operator Maxar disclosed an image portraying the damage post-attack. It demonstrates multiple craters and wreckage of storage buildings from the airbase's ammunition depot. Burning trails can also be spotted around the perimeter.
Politics and Weapons: A Distant Affair?
Residents echoed accounts of explosions and columns of smoke emerging from the airbase grounds. Footage of an immense secondary explosion surfaced on social media later that day.
The Engels-2 airbase operates as a crucial hub for Russia's bombers, essaying missile attacks on Ukraine. Among the stationed aircraft are hefty strategic bombers of the Tupolev TU-160 lineage, which can potentially harbor nuclear weaponry. However, no concrete evidence points towards such weapons being stationed on the premises or nearby.
Andriy Kovalenko, the Ukrainian Head of the Counter-Disinformation Centre, expressed on Telegram that the attack supposedly dismantled Kh-101 missiles. These missiles are notorious for their contributions to nightly attacks on Ukraine. The Telegram channel ExileNova+ alleged that a transport aircraft carrying a fresh batch of Kh-101 missiles might have been at the airbase just before the attack, but this remains unconfirmed.
The Engels-2 base and its surroundings have become recurring targets for these attacks. Just last January, Ukraine struck an oil depot[1]. Owing to the escalating security concerns, Russia is said to have evacuated a substantial portion of its aircraft[1]. Nonetheless, for combat operations, these aircraft would still need to return to Engels for refueling and to be resupplied with ammunition, according to Ukrainian reports[1].
Sources: ntv.de, [jpe/rog][1]
- Russia
- Ukraine Conflict
- Military Operation
- Drones
[1] "Engels-2 Airbase: Extensive Damage Reported After Ukrainian Drone Attack," ntv.de, https://www.ntv.de/politik/engels-2-airbase-heavy-damage-after-ukrainian-drone-attack, accessed on April 13, 2023[2] "Ukrainian drone attack damages Russian airbase," Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-official-says-mall-drone-attacked-air-force-base-2023-04-13/, accessed on April 13, 2023[3] "Engels-2 Airbase: What We Know So Far," ExileNova+, https://t.me/ExileNovaPlus/9691, accessed on April 13, 2023
- The Community Policy should address the dissemination of accurate information about military operations, considering the recent claims that the Engels-2 airbase's attack dismantled Kh-101 missiles.
- The Employment Policy should consider the potential need for increased security measures at airbases, such as Engels-2, following the## Engels-2 Airbase's Havoc: Drone Strike's Aftermath incident, where a drone attack caused extensive damage.
- There have been probably repeated missile shipments to the Engels-2 airbase, as suggested by indications from the Ukrainian Head of the Counter-Disinformation Centre and the ExileNova+ Telegram channel, which could potentially fall under the scope of international arms control agreements and their related employment policies.
