In a series of surprise night-time attacks, Ukraine has targeted and bombed two major Russian sites – the Saratov oil refinery and the Engels-2 military airfield. The statement came directly from President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenskiy who confirmed his country’s involvement.
The drone strikes occurred during the night of August 1, with significant fires and explosions resulting from the assault in the city of Saratov, where the oil refinery is operated by Rusneft, one of Russia’s largest oil companies.
Simultaneously, reports emerged of an attack on the Engels-2 military airfield, with locals detailing the sounds of impactful explosions. Governor of the Saratov Oblast confirmed the attack and highlighted the damage on civilian infrastructure caused in both Saratov and Engels.
Initial reports suggest that fires were started at multiple sites within the refinery. Residents from the area took it upon themselves to record and share footage of the events on social media, showing the bright lights emanating from the large industrial zone. The Saratov oil refinery, one of Russia’s oldest, had an output capacity of 4.8 million tonnes as recently as 2023.
Parallelly, sounds of explosions were echoed from the vicinity of the Engels-2 military airfield, causing shockwaves among locals. Disturbing images and videos allegedly showing the moment of a powerful explosion on the territory of the airbase were uploaded across various digital platforms. Investigations are underway to further examine and understand the aftermath of these attacks.
The Governor of Saratov Oblast has since made an official statement confirming the attacks, outlining the significant damage to civilian infrastructure as a result of the strikes.
The image accompanying this article is an AI-generated illustrative depiction inspired by the actual scene of the event.
