UK intelligence has analysed the successful strike carried out by Ukraine’s defence forces on the Russian strategic airbase Engels-2 in Russia’s Saratov Oblast on the night of 19-20 March.

Source: UK intelligence update dated 25 March on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Details: UK intelligence reported that on the night of 19-20 March, Ukraine’s defence forces launched a drone attack on an ammunition depot located at the Russian strategic aircraft airbase Engels-2.

They stated it is almost certain that the struck area stored a range of aircraft munitions used in attacks against Ukraine.

As a result, the analysis suggests that significant losses are likely to disrupt the ability to carry out strike operations from the airbase in the short term.

"Russian aircraft have also highly likely been dispersed to surrounding airfields, as has become standard practice in response to Ukrainian deep-strike operations," UK intelligence noted.

The analysts also stressed that this was Ukraine’s most successful strike on a Russian ammunition depot in 2025.

A source in Ukraine’s General Staff told the media that the explosions at Engels-2 airbase were the result of joint operations by Ukraine’s Security Service (SSU) and the Armed Forces’ Special Operations Forces (SOF).

The source revealed that the successful drone attack by the SSU and SOF led to a fire, explosions and secondary detonation of munitions near the airbase.

Background: 

• Recently, UK intelligence reported that Russia’s armed forces have likely suffered approximately 900,000 killed and wounded since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
• UK intelligence has also analysed the condition of the Russian forces in the third year of the full-scale war against Ukraine and outlined its losses.

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