Russia builds 16 bomber shelters at Engels-2 airbase after drone raids - NV
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Satellite images showing Engels-2 base, Sept. 5, 2026 (Photo: AviVector / X)
Russia has begun building fortified shelters for strategic bombers at Engels-2 airbase, open-source group AviVector reported in early Sept.
Russia has initiated construction of hardened aircraft shelters at the Engels-2 strategic airbase in Saratov Oblast to protect long-range aviation assets used to launch missile barrages across Ukraine.
The construction comes amid expanding range and frequency in Ukrainian deep-strike capabilities. Overnight into Aug. 28, Ukraine's defense forces struck a Tu-95MS strategic bomber, a weapons depot, and a fuel and lubricants storage site at Engels airfield.
New Voice (NV) outlines the technical profile of Engels-2 and major Ukrainian strikes targeting the facility:
Engels-2 Airbase Profile
Location:
Engels, Saratov Oblast, Russia (Coordinates: 51.481111, 46.210556) Construction Year:
1950 Distance to Ukraine:
700 km (approx. 435 miles) Runway Dimensions:
Length: 3.5 km (2.17 miles); Width: 70 m (230 ft)
Aircraft Deployed at the Base
Strategic Missile Carriers: Tu-95MS and Tu-160
Frontline Bombers: Su-34
Multirole Fighters: Su-35
Attack Aircraft:
Su-25 Military Transport & Support Aircraft: An-12 and Il-76
Helicopters: Mi-8
Estimated Shelter Specifications
Width: 63 m (207 ft)
Length:
63 m (207 ft) Sidewall Height:
7 m (23 ft) Peak Height:
17 m (56 ft)
Major Ukrainian Strikes on Engels-2 (2025–2026)
Jan. 8, 2025: Ukrainian drones hit a petroleum storage base that supplied aviation fuel to the Engels-2 military airfield.
Jan. 14, 2025: A secondary strike hit the fuel depot, setting ablaze fuel tanks holding aviation kerosene for Tu-160 bombers.
March 20, 2025:
July 17, 2026:
Aug. 2, 2026:
Aug. 28, 2026: Ukrainian defense forces struck a Russian Tu-95MS strategic bomber along with nearby ordnance and fuel stores.
(Data sources: AviVector OSINT, Militarnyi, Planet Labs)
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