07/16/2026
On the night of July 16, explosions were heard in the Russian cities of Saratov and Engels as a result of an attack by Ukrainian drones. A fire broke out at the Engels military airfield.
Local authorities have not yet commented on the events in Saratov and Engels. In turn, the Osint community Exilenova+ has collected video evidence and claims that, among other things, a military airfield was attacked.
What’s happening?
The first reports of the UAV attack and explosions were made by residents of Saratov and Engels early in the night. As of 4 a.m., the airstrike in both cities is still ongoing.
Moreover, as the townspeople themselves note, the Russian military is trying to shoot down Ukrainian drones right over people’s heads, which is why houses are burning .
In the video below, you can see how the drone hits a high-rise building. Moreover, the Osint community has evidence: apparently this happened due to the activation of electronic warfare equipment – up to this point, the drone had simply been circling over the city for quite some time.
Other videos include the sounds of drones flying overhead and explosions, including in Engels. According to geolocation data, Engels airbase was under attack.
Its coordinates:
- 51°28’40.56″N 46°12’07.35″E
- РОВ: 51°29’19.66″N 46°07’35.81″E0
Monitoring channels confirm that the explosions occurred directly on the territory of the military airfield.
Engels-2 airfield in the Saratov region is one of Russia’s most important strategic facilities. It is a key strategic aviation base and the main hub from which massive missile strikes on the territory of Ukraine are planned and carried out.
The Tu-160, Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 bombers are based there. The air base has two concrete runways 3,500 meters long. There are also large storage facilities for aviation fuel, as well as arsenals where cruise missiles and other types of ammunition are stored.
What preceded
Due to the airfield’s enormous influence on the course of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Engels-2 airfield is a priority target for Ukrainian strikes. Despite its deep rear, the airfield has repeatedly come under attack.
One of the most successful and destructive coordinated attacks carried out by the SBU and the SZG of Ukraine was carried out in the spring of 2025. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as a result of this raid, 96 air-launched cruise missiles were destroyed at the Engels-2 warehouses. This significantly reduced the offensive missile potential of the Russian Federation for a certain period.
Let us remind you: Ukrainian drones have already attacked military targets in Engels, Saratov Oblast, Russia, on several occasions. For example, on the night of March 21, explosions erupted in both the city and the airfield. The Russians then complained about the drone attack, after which the power supply in Engels disappeared.
As OBOZ.UA reported, in May, Engels spent several weeks trying to survive a municipal disaster that virtually drowned the entire city in sewage. As a result of the accident at the collector, almost 200,000 residents were left without water for the entire May holidays.