{"id":4353,"date":"2025-03-27T12:01:05","date_gmt":"2025-03-27T12:01:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/ukraines-engels-drone-strike-destroyed-96-russian-cruise-missiles-general-staff-claims\/"},"modified":"2025-03-27T12:01:05","modified_gmt":"2025-03-27T12:01:05","slug":"ukraines-engels-drone-strike-destroyed-96-russian-cruise-missiles-general-staff-claims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/ukraines-engels-drone-strike-destroyed-96-russian-cruise-missiles-general-staff-claims\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukraine’s Engels drone strike destroyed 96 Russian cruise missiles, General Staff claims"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Ukraine's<\/p>\n

Ukraine’s strike on Russia’s Engels-2 military airfield on March 20 destroyed 96 air-launched cruise missiles, Ukraine’s General Staff said on March 26.<\/p>\n

The missiles were reportedly intended for three planned strikes<\/a> in March and April.<\/p>\n

The attack destroyed multiple Kh-101 cruise missiles, among other munitions, Andrii Kovalenko<\/a>, an official at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said on March 20.<\/p>\n

A fire, explosions, and secondary detonations of ammunition were recorded<\/a> at the air base following the attack.<\/p>\n

“Strikes on aviation fuel storage sites have led to the destruction of significant stocks, which negatively affects the Russian aggressor’s ability to support combat operations,” Ukraine’s General Staff reported<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims.<\/p>\n

Located in Russia’s Saratov Oblast<\/a>, over 450 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, Engels-2 is home to the 184th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment and the 121st Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment. <\/p>\n

The airfield houses three types of strategic bombers regularly used in missile attacks on Ukraine<\/a>: the Tu-95, Tu-22, and Tu-160.<\/p>\n

The Tu-95, first flown in 1952, was originally designed for nuclear bombing missions but has since been adapted to launch cruise missiles. <\/p>\n

Each aircraft can carry up to 16 Kh-55, Kh-555, Kh-101, or Kh-102 missiles. The Tu-95’s turboprop engines allow for long-range missions without refueling.<\/p>\n

Engels-2 has been a frequent target of Ukrainian strikes since Russia’s full-scale invasion. A drone attack<\/a> on Dec. 5, 2022, reportedly damaged two Tu-95 bombers. <\/p>\n

The British Defense Ministry at the time called<\/a> it “one of the most strategically significant failures of force protection since (Russia’s) invasion.” <\/p>\n

Subsequent drone attacks in December 2022 and January 2024 targeted Engels, with the most recent incident setting fire to an ammunition depot<\/a>.<\/p>\n