Engels Attack: Experts Discuss How Long Russian Aircraft Will Remain Fuel-Less.

On the night of January 8, 2025, the city of Engels in the Saratov region of Russia was subjected to a massive drone attack. Local residents reported numerous explosions, with the total number reaching 30-40, and a large fire at the oil depot.

The Governor of the Saratov region, Roman Busargin, confirmed the attack and stated that the wreckage of downed drones fell on an industrial site in Engels, causing damage. Preliminary reports indicate that there were no casualties. Additionally, according to local residents, the sound of air defense systems attempting to repel the drone attack was heard throughout the city.

Attack on Engels: Weak Russian Air Defense

Engels holds strategic importance due to its military infrastructure, particularly the airfield, which is one of the key bases for the Russian Air Force.

The airfield hosts Russia's strategic aviation, including the strategic bombers Tu-95MS and Tu-160. These aircraft are used for launching long-range cruise missiles, such as the X-101 and X-555, which Russia actively employs for strikes on Ukrainian territory.

Thanks to the capability of launching missiles from remote regions of Russia, aircraft from Engels can strike any point in Ukraine without entering the range of Ukrainian air defense. The airfield also serves as a base for servicing strategic aviation aircraft and training crews.

Can we now breathe easy and not expect mass strikes in the coming days? Unfortunately, no. Even though the strike was aimed at the oil depot, the airfield has its own refueling station that can support aircraft operations in the short term. If the fire at the depot continues and causes significant losses, it will force the Russians to transport fuel directly, complicating their logistics significantly, but it won’t stop them completely, continues the expert.

Military expert Pavel Narozhny shares this opinion. According to him, the attack by Ukrainian drones has temporarily halted or complicated operations at the Russian airfield in Engels. There is currently no confirmation in the form of photos or videos; however, there is a high likelihood that the aircraft remain unharmed.

Experts emphasize that despite this, the weakness of the air defense system in Engels is evident.

"The very fact that Ukrainian drones reached the base and inflicted damage is already a significant achievement. It also highlights the weakness of Russian air defense, as the main base for strategic aviation turned out to be less protected than claimed," says Zhdanov.

Engels Oil Depot: Consequences of the Attack

All operations at the airfield, including missile loading, refueling, and aircraft repairs, are now complicated, experts believe.

"If the oil depot, which supplies fuel to strategic aviation, has been seriously damaged, it could take 1-2 months to restore it. During this time, fuel will have to be delivered by rail, significantly complicating logistics," says Narozhny.

Regarding ammunition storage, according to the expert, Russia produces about two cruise missiles per day. If the storage facilities were hit, it could create problems with replenishing the arsenal. The exact number of destroyed missiles is difficult to estimate, but there could have been several dozen units in the storage.

"The question of damage or destruction of the Tu-95 strategic bombers is particularly important. If one of them was damaged or completely destroyed, this would be considered a significant success for the Ukrainian side," continues the expert.

This is not the first drone attack on the Engels airfield. There is currently no official confirmation regarding which specific drones are attacking Russian oil depots. Ukraine has over a dozen types of drones, but the development of drone technologies in the country is progressing slowly due to insufficient funding and production capacities, according to Zhdanov.

"If a follow-up strike occurs in the coming days, it could exacerbate the damage inflicted. The Russian side is unlikely to be able to quickly strengthen air defense, especially considering the need to ensure safety during firefighting efforts," says the expert.

Unfortunately, Ukrainian industry cannot compete with the mass production that Russia demonstrates. For example, the serial numbers of Iranian "Shahed" drones indicate the production of over 12,000 units, while Ukraine is forced to rely on limited production capabilities for strikes.

However, even with such limitations, each successful drone attack undermines the enemy's logistics and weakens their ability to strike at Ukraine.

It is worth noting that it has become known that the oil depot at the Engels airfield in the Saratov region of Russia may have been attacked by "Koldun-V" drones. The capabilities of the "Koldun-V" UAV can be compared to the UJ-22 and the well-known UJ-26 "Bober," with a flight range of up to 800 kilometers.