While Russians hide in basements, fires rage at strategic sites.

5 March 2026

The night of March 5th became a real test for Russia’s strategic facilities in the Saratov region.

RBC-Ukraine reports this with reference to Russian media.

More than sixty powerful explosions rocked Saratov and Engels, home to a strategic aviation airfield. While local authorities attempt to calm the population, fires rage across the region, and some areas are without power.

The drone attack began around 11:00 PM and continued for several hours. According to eyewitnesses, the skies above the cities literally “lit up” with explosions and air defense activity, but the drones were unable to avoid the attacks.

• Scale: Local residents counted at least 60 detonations .
• Consequences: A large-scale fire broke out in one of the districts of Saratov, which could not be contained for several hours.
• Blackout: Both cities were partially without power due to damaged transmission lines.

Regional Governor Roman Busargin has already called this attack “the most massive in a year.” According to official reports, civilian infrastructure was damaged, and three people were injured.

Main targets: oil refinery and airbase

Although the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have shot down 48 drones, Ukrainian monitoring resources report successful hits:

1. Saratov Oil Refinery: An active attack on the oil refinery was reported, accompanied by a powerful fire.
2. Engels-2 Airfield: The city of Engels is a base for Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers. Any drone activity in this area is critical for Russian aviation.

The situation in the region remains tense, as emergency services continue to clear debris and deal with the aftermath of the “landings.”

As a reminder, explosions rocked Engels and Saratov on the night of February 22 following an attack by unknown drones . Footage shows eyewitnesses commenting on the fires.

https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/frantsiya-pid-pritsilom-rf-gotue-informatsiynu-1772669798.html