The Saratov region’s Ministry of Information and Press announced an air raid alert in the evening of December 26, followed by an uptick in combat readiness across the area.
“By the evening of December 26, signals of air raids were detected in Engels, in the Saratov region. The siren was activated to raise preparedness,” the department stated, quoting Yuri Yurin, head of the regional life safety department.
During the night of December 26, an air raid alert also went into effect in Engels after a Ukrainian drone reportedly tried to strike an airbase near the city.
The equipment was undamaged; three soldiers were fatally injured
On the night of December 26, Saratov media reported an incident in Engels triggering the air raid alert. Regional governor Roman Busargin reassured residents via a Telegram channel that there is no danger to housing areas and no threat to civilians.
“Civil infrastructure facilities were not affected. The incident at the military facility is being reviewed by law enforcement agencies,” he wrote. He also dismissed rumors of a city evacuation as misinformation spread beyond the nation’s borders.
Later, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that air defense forces shot down a Ukrainian drone as it neared the Engels airfield. “At around 01:35 Moscow time on December 26, a Ukrainian drone was shot down at low altitude while approaching the Engels military airbase in the Saratov region through the anti-aircraft capabilities of the Russian Aerospace Forces,” the ministry said. Debris from the incident caused fatalities among three airspace technical personnel, though aviation equipment itself was not damaged.
Busargin extended condolences to the families of the victims and pledged full support to those affected.
At the Engels airport, Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers of the Russian Aerospace Forces were stationed for operations.
Not the first time
Earlier on December 5, Ukrainian forces reportedly targeted the Diaghilevo airfields in the Ryazan region and Engels in the Saratov region with drones. Initial reports from agencies described an explosion near the Ryazan airport and a fuel truck on fire, with casualty figures varying by source. The Ministry of Defense later confirmed the loss of three Russian technical personnel at the airport and additional injuries on that day, noting that enemy drones had interfered with air defense systems and damaged aircraft surfaces in some cases.
In retaliation, the ministry said the Russian Armed Forces delivered a harsh blow to Ukrainian command and control. “All 17 identified targets were hit,” it stated. Residents in the Saratov region reported a flash and a nearby explosion near the Engels airbase, though Governor Busargin again asserted that no civilian emergency occurred and no civilian infrastructure was damaged.
Accountability for the attacks
Ukraine has not officially claimed responsibility for the December incidents. Nevertheless, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office suggested that repeated airspace incursions could eventually invite unknown aircraft back to their point of departure. (Source: official statements and briefings, cited for context.)
On December 7, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken stated that Washington does not assist Ukraine in attacking Russian territory. (Source: White House briefings.)
German official Steffen Hebestreit described Russian airfields as legitimate targets and asserted that Ukraine has the right of self-defense, noting that Kyiv could act beyond its borders under the UN Charter. (Source: German government communications.)
On December 11, White House communications coordinator John Kirby reiterated that the United States is not pressuring Ukraine to operate inside Russia; rather, it supports Kyiv in defending its own territory. (Source: U.S. government statements.)