The governor of Russia's Saratov Oblast, Roman Busargin, announced on Sunday that “a process of controlled fuel burning is underway” at the fuel base in the city of Engels. The official thus confirmed that the base, attacked on the night of January 7-8 and supplying fuel to the Russian airport where Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers are stationed, is on fire for the fifth day.
Roman Busargin reported on Telegram on Sunday that on that day “another meeting of the operational staff was held at the site of the fire in Engels.” “The process of controlled fuel burning is ongoing. Specialists are taking all necessary measures to eliminate the problem,” wrote the governor of the Saratov region. “As I mentioned earlier, the amount of smoke and the area covered by the fire are decreasing,” the official added.
Smoke over the fuel base in EngelsRoman Busargin/Telegram
Staff confirmation
Fuel base in the city of Engels in the Saratov Oblast Russia, supplying fuel to a military airport where Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers are stationed, was attacked on the night of January 7-8. The incident was first reported by Russian channels on Telegram, and later these reports were confirmed by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Users of the Astra Telegram channel reported hearing explosions on the base.
The authorities of Engels, with a population of 200,000 and located over 700 km southeast of Moscow, announced state of emergency. On the day of the attack, the Ministry of Defense in Moscow reported that 11 drones had been shot down over the Saratov Oblast.
Thousands of tons of fuel
Ukrainian military analyst Roman Switan told the Kyiv TV channel Channel 24 that the jet fuel tanks at Engels contain thousands of tons of this substance. He explained that the base supplying the airport where strategic bombers are stationed must have such reserves.
– One Tu-160 needs over 170 tons of aviation fuel – said Switan. In his opinion, “in the near future, the base in Engels may be attacked again by drones in order to completely immobilize it.”
tvn24.pl, Channel 24, Radio Swoboda