Ukraine carried out a large-scale drone strike on Russia’s Engels air base on Thursday, causing a powerful explosion and fire nearly 700 km (435 miles) from the front lines, according to officials from both countries. Verified videos showed a massive blast tearing through the area, damaging nearby homes, while another clip captured thick smoke and raging flames. Engels air base, which houses Russia’s nuclear-capable Tupolev Tu-160 bombers, has played a crucial role in launching Russian attacks on Ukraine.

Saratov Governor Roman Busargin confirmed that Ukrainian drones had struck Engels, reporting a fire at the airfield and evacuations, though he did not directly mention the base by name. Ukraine’s defence ministry also stated that its forces had hit the airfield, triggering secondary explosions. Russian authorities reported that 10 people were injured and said air defences had intercepted 132 Ukrainian drones across various regions. Residents were startled to discover drone wreckage in their yards, with reports indicating that Ukraine deployed PD-2 and Liutyi drones in the assault. Engels has been targeted multiple times since December 2022, with Kyiv previously claiming responsibility for an attack on an oil depot supplying the base in January.

Russian airstrikes on eastern Ukraine overnight claimed two lives, local authorities reported on Thursday. At the same time, Moscow also carried out a large-scale drone attack that left 10 people injured and ignited fires far from the front lines. Both countries have intensified their aerial assaults, even as former U.S. President Donald Trump urges Moscow and Kyiv to agree to a ceasefire after more than three years of war.

Ukrainian officials from the northeastern Sumy and Kharkiv regions confirmed that Russia had dropped over three dozen glide bombs on border towns, killing two people and wounding several others. Meanwhile, a Russian drone strike on the city of Kropyvnytsky, located hundreds of kilometres from the battlefield, injured 10 people, including four children, and caused large plumes of smoke and fire, officials said.

Regional governor Andriy Raikovych described the attack as one of the most severe, stating that residential buildings had been destroyed. The Ukrainian railway company Ukrzaliznytsia also reported disruptions to train services in the region due to the shelling.

“This is what a ceasefire from Putin looks like. Russia attacks civilians with great pleasure,” presidential aide Andriy Yermak shared in a post on social media.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched a massive attack, including strikes on Kropyvnytsky, involving a total of 171 drones. Ukrainian air defences shot down 75 of them, while electronic jamming systems or other failures brought down an additional 63. Meanwhile, Russia claimed that its air defence systems intercepted 132 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions.

Saratov Governor Roman Busargin stated that the southwestern region, particularly the city of Engels, “were today subjected to the most massive UAV (drone) attack ever”. He confirmed that the strike caused a fire at the Engels air base.