Belgorod region
Residents of the Belgorod region were among the first to report air defense activity on Thursday, around 9.30 Moscow time. Local residents shared photos and videos in chats and on Telegram channels, capturing the moment a rocket appeared to intercept an unidentified object high above the region.
The footage shows fragments of the object breaking away and burning as they descend, leaving a smoky trail. Vyacheslav Gladkov, the head of the region, confirmed that air defense systems were in operation. He noted that one of the flight trajectories landed near the busy Komsomolsky-Maisky highway, where dry grass caught fire but was quickly extinguished. No casualties were reported, and regional emergency services continued to clarify the situation on the ground. A regional spokesperson emphasized that life safety remained the top priority as crews assessed any indirect impacts in the area.
Bryansk region
Around 10:30 Moscow time, reports of missiles and drones appeared across the Bryansk region. Aleksandr Bogomaz, the regional president, stated that air defense systems were actively engaged in protecting the territory and that there were no confirmed damages or injuries at that time.
Bogomaz outlined that the air defense operation targeted the Klintsovsky district. While he confirmed that UAVs were shot down, he did not specify the exact number. Independent reporting from Mash suggested the possibility that American-supplied HIMARS missiles were involved, with S-300 caliber defenses intercepting incoming threats over Bryansk. A casualty was reported on the ground due to falling debris in the wake of the incident, according to those close to the scene.
Saratov region
By 11:20 Moscow time, residents of the Saratov region began posting images and videos showing smoke trails from rockets in the sky. Eyewitnesses described air defense activity in the Engels military airspace as part of ongoing protective measures.
People reported hearing a sound akin to an aircraft over the Engels area, followed by an explosion and a weather alert issued for the city. Governor Roman Busargin later confirmed that an air defense system had intercepted a target over the Engels territory, destroying an unidentified object. He stressed that field teams were on site and that there was no immediate threat to nearby residents. Evacuation warnings were deemed unnecessary for the city, according to his statements.
Subsequent accounts from local residents relayed that debris from the downed object fell on a residential building and a car in the Engels area. In Saratov’s satellite city of Engels, the nearby airbase Engels-2 houses long-range aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces and has been associated with strategic missions in Ukraine. The airbase has faced prior attacks in recent weeks. In the Ministry of Defense briefing, Ukrainian attempts to disrupt Engels-2 were noted, including a December incident that resulted in fatalities and injuries as described by official channels. These reports have been corroborated by multiple observers on the ground and by regional security updates.