Ukrainian strike on Engels airfield costs Russia 96 cruise missiles

Ukraine's armed forces struck the Engels airfield, destroying 96 Russian missiles in an attack that occurred on the night of March 20.

The General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces reported this.

"According to clarified information, as a result of the strike by the Defense Forces of Ukraine on the airfield of the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Armed Forces "Engels-2" on March 20, 2025, the enemy lost 96 air-launched cruise missiles.

In particular, as a result of secondary detonation," the report says.

As the General Staff specifies, the indicated number of missiles was calculated for three missile strikes during March-April of this year.

Also, strikes on the Russian aviation fuel storage sites destroyed significant reserves, which negatively affected the enemy's ability to provide for combat operations.

For reference:

Engels airfield serves as a key base for Russian strategic aviation. It houses Tu-95MS, Tu-22M3, and Tu-160 bombers, along with warehouses of guided aerial bombs and cruise missiles. 

Aircraft from this base launch missile strikes on Ukraine.

It should be noted that on the night of March 20, explosions echoed near the Russian Engels airfield in the Saratov region, igniting a severe fire. Reports indicate a weapons warehouse was targeted, with detonation sounds heard in the area. Russian sources expressed grievances over the attack.

The head of the Central Defense Directorate, Andrii Kovalenko, reported that after the attack on Engels, the Russians lost missiles, particularly the Kh-101 air-to-surface cruise missiles.

As the General Staff confirmed, the attack on the Russian airfield was an operation by the Security Service of Ukraine and the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine's armed forces.

Reports suggest that Ukraine allegedly struck Engels airfield with a domestically produced Long Neptune missile.

British intelligence described the attack on Engels-2 as the most successful strike by Ukrainian forces on Russia since the start of 2025.

Notably, this isn't the first attack on the Engels airfield. On the night of January 14, unidentified UAVs targeted several regions in Russia, igniting a significant fire at an industrial facility in the city of Engels, Saratov region. Residents of Kazan in the Tatarstan Republic also reported UAV attacks, resulting in a fire at the Orgsintez plant.

Later, it was reported that the Ukrainian Defense Forces again struck the infrastructure of the Russian military airfield Engels-2 on the night of January 14. Tu-95MS and Tu-160 aircraft of the 22nd heavy bomber air division of the Russian Federation are based there.

Also on the night of January 8, unknown drones attacked the city of Engels. They targeted an oil storage facility and hit the Kristall plant of Rosrezerv.