forces have launched the second large-scale drone attack on Saratov region in the space of a month, targeting both an oil refinery and a key military airbase.
In the early hours of Tuesday, multiple drones hit “an industrial facility” in Saratov, causing damage, regional governor Roman Busargin confirmed.
Writing on Telegram, he said: “Emergency teams are working at the sites where debris may have fallen. No casualties have been reported so far.”
The attack hit the Saratov Oil Refinery, which is operated by Rosneft, said the Kyiv Post.
Witnesses described hearing explosions and seeing a fire at the site.
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The drone strikes will come as a fresh blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin (Image: X)
On January 14, a similar drone strike also set the oil hub ablaze.
Engels, which is home to a major Russian military airbase, was also attacke, with residents reporting loud blasts and what they described as a sound like “machine gun fire” near the airfield.
Engels Airbase, located across the Volga River from Saratov, houses ’s strategic bombers, including Tu-95MS and Tu-160 aircraft, frequently used to launch missile strikes on .
, which supplies fuel to Russian bombers.
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On that occasion the fire burned for five days and killed two emergency workers.
The facility was also been hit on January 8, triggering another fire.
Meanwhile, ’s Defence Ministry claims air defence systems intercepted 40 drones overnight.
Several airports – including those in Kazan, Kirov, Saratov, and Ulyanovsk – briefly suspended flights due to the attack, according to the Federal Air Transport Agency.