Ukraine launched an attack on a Russian airfield located deep within Russian territory overnight, according to officials who spoke on Thursday. Both Ukraine and Russia exchanged strikes, even as the Trump administration attempted to discuss specifics of a potential partial cease-fire.
The attack on the Russian airfield came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump and accepted the Kremlin’s offer to mutually cease attacks on energy targets for 30 days. This move was intended as a step towards a broader cease-fire.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed that they had shot down 54 Ukrainian drones in the Saratov region overnight. This region is home to the Engels airfield, which houses some of Russia’s long-range bombing aircraft capable of delivering nuclear weapons.
Although the ministry did not specify how many drones managed to evade their air defenses, the New York Times confirmed that at least one of the strikes targeted the airfield in Engels shortly after sunrise on Thursday.
Videos and photographs shared by witnesses on social media showed an explosion, a large plume of dark smoke rising from the base, and loud secondary explosions following the strike. The strike seemed to target a section of the airfield with several warehouses, described online as a weapons storage area.
The governor of the Saratov region, Roman Busargin, stated on Thursday that civilians living near the airfield were being evacuated for safety reasons due to a fire at the base. He added that approximately 30 houses were damaged overnight, according to a post on the Telegram messaging app.
Ukraine’s military confirmed the attack on the airfield in a statement. Ukraine has previously targeted the base, which it considers a staging ground for Russia’s ongoing attacks on the Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Russian forces also conducted further strikes on Ukraine overnight. Ukraine’s air force claimed that Russia launched 171 drones, with 63 being shot down by air defenses. At least five people were killed and injured across the country, according to local authorities.
Although both Russia and Ukraine have agreed to temporarily stop targeting each other’s energy infrastructure, the details and timing of the pause remain unclear. Those specifics were expected to be discussed at upcoming talks in Saudi Arabia.
The Kremlin announced on Thursday that Russian and U.S. officials were working out the details of a new round of bilateral talks, including who would participate. These talks could potentially take place early next week, according to the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, who did not specify a date.
Mr. Zelensky has characterized some of the Kremlin’s proposals as stalling tactics to gain military advantage. He suggested that Russian attacks had not stopped, writing on Telegram, “Every day and every night, up to a hundred drone and missile attacks also do not stop. With each such strike, Russia shows the world its real attitude to peace.”
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/world/europe/ukraine-attacks-russia-airbase-engels-drones.html
