Drones could have attacked a refinery and a military airfield in the Saratov region. Photo: rosmedia
On the morning of 20 March, for the third time in the last 10 weeks, Ukrainian drones struck the Engels airbase in Saratov region, where Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers are based. According to Ukraine’s General Staff, the explosions destroyed 96 X-101 cruise missiles. This is the equivalent of two months’ production of the Raduga design bureau near Moscow. This was reported by Forbes.
Each X-101 missile costs at least $10 million, which means that Russia’s total losses could reach $960 million. This does not include damage to fuel depots and other facilities at the base.
Reaction of Ukraine and Russia
The Ukrainian Centre for Strategic Communications commented ironically on the event, saying that Engels “faced serious difficulties”. At the same time, British intelligence called the attack “the most successful” since the beginning of the year and suggested that it could seriously affect Russia’s ability to launch missile strikes against Ukraine.
It is noted that the strike on 20 March was not the first. On 8 January, Ukrainian drones already attacked the facility, causing a fire to break out in a warehouse storing 800,000 tonnes of fuel. The fire was extinguished only a week later, after another attack on 14 January.
Will Russia be able to compensate for the losses?
Experts note that although Russia is trying to repair the damage quickly, such strikes have a long-term effect. Due to sanctions, the production of new X-101 cruise missiles is difficult, and existing stocks are rapidly depleting.
Currently, Ukraine’s strategy is shifting towards strikes on Russia’s critical infrastructure, including oil bases and production facilities. This is aimed at not only military but also economic pressure on the aggressor.
