"Russia may have planned missile strike on Ukraine": Defense Express on Engels airfield strike aftermath

He shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

"Something definitely happened at the Engels airbase, and it was significant. Dozens of surrounding buildings were damaged. Local authorities reported a massive attack, claiming dozens of Ukrainian UAVs were intercepted over the Saratov region," Katkov said.

According to the Defense Express editor-in-chief, experts are divided in their assessments. Some identify the destroyed site as an ammunition depot, while others believe it was a fuel and lubricants storage facility.

"There’s a video showing the explosion’s aftermath and the secondary detonation of small arms ammunition or something similar. If these were aircraft gun munitions for the Tu-95 and Tu-160, then this was not a fuel depot — it was an ammunition depot. And since we’re talking about the Tu-95MS and Tu-160, the only logical conclusion is that cruise missiles were stored there. The explosion was massive — windows shattered seven kilometers away," Katkov explained.

The military expert also pointed out that, according to local authorities, the Ukrainian drone attack happened around 3 a.m., while the explosion occurred at dawn, meaning it was a secondary detonation.

"So, all signs point to an ammunition warehouse for aviation weapons. Clearly, these were cruise missiles. This suggests the enemy was caught off guard while preparing them for a large-scale attack," Katkov emphasized.

On the night of Thursday, March 20, units of Ukraine's Security Service and Special Operations Forces, in coordination with other Defense Forces branches, struck the Engels airfield in Russia’s Saratov region.

• Anatoliy Khrapchynskyi, deputy general director of a company producing electronic warfare equipment and an aviation expert, noted that Russia is still capable of producing tactical aviation, unlike strategic aviation.