20 March, 2025

Deputy General Director of the company for the production of electronic warfare systems, aviation expert Anatoliy Khrapchynskyi, noted that, unlike strategic aviation, Russia is still capable of producing tactical aircraft.

He shared the information on Espreso TV.

“The Engels airfield is the only airfield that stores most of the strategic missiles flying towards Ukraine, including the Kh-101 and Kh-555 missiles. There, aircraft are also equipped for further return to Olenya, from where they take off to combat positions. Firstly, it is a weapons storage, and secondly, a fuel and lubricants storage, as the airfield has a sufficient number of tanks that provide fuel for Russian strategic aircraft. We need to wait for satellite images to confirm exactly what we hit,” explained Khrapchynskyi.

The aviation expert also emphasized that it would be beneficial to deprive Russia of several strategic aircraft, as this is a non-renewable resource. The same applies to aircraft that can be based at the Dyagilevo airfield, which Ukraine is capable of targeting with Neptune missiles.

“Talking about strategic aviation such as the Tu-95, these are outdated aircraft that make no sense to restore. There are also Tu-22M3 and Tu-160 aircraft, and Russia cannot build these planes, it can only repair them. Why? Because after the collapse of the Soviet Union, some of the documentation was lost or stolen by the Russian Federation. Even the workshop at the Kazan plant was completely destroyed. They had to rebuild it from scratch just to attempt to repair these aircraft. Unlike strategic aviation, the Russians are still capable of producing tactical aircraft,” Khrapchynsky.

• On the night of Thursday, March 20, Russian authorities claimed that drones allegedly attacked the city of Engels in the Saratov region of Russia.

https://global.espreso.tv/russia-ukraine-war-non-renewable-resource-aviation-expert-on-ukraines-strikes-on-engels-airfield