CNN
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Three Russian soldiers were killed Monday when a Ukrainian drone was shot down by air defense forces as it approached a military airfield in Saratov province, deep in Russian territory, according to Russian state news agency, citing Defense Ministry sources. .
The incident took place in the western port city of Engels, about 500 miles (800 kilometers) southeast of Moscow on the Volga River. It is the second such attempted attack this month on the city, which is home to the Engels 2 military airfield, an air base for strategic bombers.
Law enforcement agencies are now investigating the incident at the airfield, Saratov province governor Roman Busargin said on Monday. Comments posted on his official Telegram channel spread reports of an explosion in the city I came later.
He added that “there has been no emergency in the residential areas of the city” and that civilian infrastructure has not been damaged. He also offered his condolences to the military families and said the government would provide support to them.
CNN was unable to independently verify a Russian report that the drone was deliberately shot down and did not reach its intended target.
In comments on Monday, Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yury Inat did not claim direct responsibility for the drone, but suggested the attack was “a result of what Russia has done.”
“If the Russians thought that the war would not affect anyone deep inside (Russia), they were sorely mistaken. Happening more and more often, let’s hope that this will only benefit Ukraine.
Also on Monday, a spokesman for the security forces in southern Ukraine warned of possible retaliatory attacks by Russia, citing a similar incident in the same area earlier this month.
“This is reminiscent of the events of December 5th, so there may be a sense of déjà vu, a repeat of this situation. [the Russians] We launched a massive missile strike,” the spokesperson said. “So we should be prepared for this, take it into account in our plans and remember to go to shelters.”
Earlier this month, CCTV footage appeared to show an explosion lighting up Engels’ sky. At the time, Busargin also reassured residents that there was no damage to civilian infrastructure and that “information about incidents at military installations is being checked by law enforcement agencies.”
He acknowledged that information about the “big bangs and bursts of Engels in the early morning” was circulating on social networks and media.
The Engels-2 airfield is about 6 km away from where CCTV footage was recorded in early December.
