Ukrainian drones attacked the city of Engels in Russia's Saratov region overnight on July 16, damaging civilian infrastructure, Governor Roman Busargin said, adding that there were no casualties. He provided no further details about the damage.
Independent outlet Astra and the Ukrainian monitoring Telegram channel Exilenova+ reported that one drone struck a high-rise residential building. Video footage published online shows a drone hitting one of the upper floors of a 25-story building in the Ladya residential complex at 85 Pristanskaya Street, about two kilometers from the Engels-2 military airfield, sources said.
Astra, citing eyewitness footage, reported a fire at the military airfield after the attack. It was not immediately clear what had caught fire. Residents of Saratov and Engels reported a large number of drones and explosions, with social media channels posting videos of drones flying overhead and blasts. A series of explosions in Engels caused power outages, Deutsche Welle reported.
Russia's Defense Ministry said air defense systems shot down 375 drones overnight over 18 Russian regions, annexed Crimea, and the Azov and Black Seas.
Ukrainian drones have been attacking Russian regions almost daily. Ukraine's military says its targets are military and industrial facilities. The Engels-2 airfield has been targeted in previous Ukrainian strikes.
Sources differed on the extent of damage: Governor Busargin said there were no casualties but did not specify damage details. Astra and Exilenova+ reported that a drone hit a residential high-rise. Authorities have not officially commented on the claim that a drone struck a residential building.