--- title: "Ukraine Targets Strategic Bomber Fuel Supplies In Long-Range Strike On Russia" description: "Russian authorities have declared a state of emergency in the Volga River port city of Engels as a huge fire, caused by a “[massive” Ukrainian drone attack](), rages unchecked. The strike was on the strategically important fuel storage tank farm…" date: "2025-01-08" modified: "2025-01-08" authors: - name: "Howard Altman" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/howard-altman" url: "https://www.twz.com/news-features/ukraine-targets-strategic-bomber-fuel-supplies-in-long-range-strike-on-russia" categories: - "Air" - "Air Forces" - "Around The Globe" - "Bombers" - "Europe" - "News & Features" - "Russia" - "Russian Air Force" - "Tu-160" - "Tu-22" - "Tu-95" - "Ukraine" --- # Ukraine Targets Strategic Bomber Fuel Supplies In Long-Range Strike On Russia ![A strategically important fuel farm supplying Russia's Engels Air Base was struck by Ukrainian drones.]() *\Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff\* Russian authorities have declared a state of emergency in the Volga River port city of Engels as a huge fire, caused by a “[massive” Ukrainian drone attack](), rages unchecked. The strike was on the strategically important fuel storage tank farm for [Engels Air Base](), the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff [said on Facebook](). It’s the home of the 22nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division and its [Tu-22M3 Backfire-C](), [Tu-95MS Bear-H](), and [Tu-160M Blackjack]() bombers, located about 300 miles east of the border. “Due to the increase in the area of ​​the fire at the industrial enterprise that was attacked by a UAV, a state of emergency will be introduced in Engels,” Roman Busargin, governor of Saratov region, [said Wednesday on Telegram](). “Unfortunately, as a result of the liquidation, there are two fatalities - employees of the fire service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Also, one specialist was hospitalized. The Minister of Health was instructed to keep the provision of medical care under special control.” https://twitter.com/KyivPost/status/1877008535957000304 https://twitter.com/Archer83Able/status/1876998714243404275 https://youtu.be/xCupd9-NcLs?t=2 https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1877024153099723240 Bombers like those based at Engels [have frequently been used]() in long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities, launching [a variety of cruise missiles](). The attack was clearly designed to impact the ability of the base to generate bomber sorties. With the fire still raging, the full extent of the damage is unknown, but it is highly likely that the bombers' fuel reserves are greatly affected. ![]() *Engels Air Base is located about 300 miles east of Ukraine. (Google Earth)* ![]() *The fuel facility attacked today, seen in the bottom left corner of this image, is about five miles west of Engels Air Base. (Google Earth)* “Worth noting, while the Tu-95MS consumes conventional types of jet fuel (T-1, TS, RT), the Tu-160, on the other hand, requires special high-density fuel of the T-8V brand,” [the Ukrainian *Defense Express* media outlet reported](). “Considering the limited attainability of the T-8V fuel, if tanks containing it were destroyed by drones tonight, Russian Tu-160 could be grounded completely or significantly limited in their operations.” The Blackjacks are already being used sparingly “due to their limited numbers and ongoing modernization efforts,” *Defense Express* pointed out. “Russia’s Aerospace Forces reportedly possess around 15 Tu-160 aircraft, though not all are operational. Some are being upgraded to the Tu-160M aircraft standard, with Moscow aiming to expand the fleet to 20 aircraft by completing unfinished Soviet-era airframes, a goal widely viewed as uncertain.” “The last time these aircraft were involved in[ an attack was on Nov. 17, 2024](), which was the first time they had been used in 550 days,” the publication added. ![In this pool photograph distributed by Russian state agency Sputnik, the Tupolev Tu-160M "Ilya Muromets" strategic bomber takes off from the runway of an aircraft manufacturer in Kazan on February 22, 2024.]() *A Tupolev Tu-160M strategic bomber seen taking off from the runway of an aircraft manufacturer in Kazan on Feb. 22, 2024. (Photo by DMITRY AZAROV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)* The aircraft at the base have been targeted several times in the past, causing the Russians to beef up their air defenses, [use silhouette decoys](), and even [place tires on the planes]() there to protect them from attack by confusing image-matching missile seekers. However, Ukrainian officials said today’s attack was part of their [ongoing effort to target Russian fuel supplies]() to reduce Russia's capacity to fight. “Oil base \[attacks\] create serious logistical problems for Russian occupiers' strategic aviation and significantly reduces their ability to strike peaceful Ukrainian cities and civilian objects,” the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff [noted on Facebook](). Alexander Kamyshin, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, lauded the fact that Ukraine used its own long-range weapons in the attack. He did not specify which ones. "Yet another russian oil depot, serving military airfield, was hit by long range capabilities #MadeInUkraine," he stated. "Our #DefenseTech is our superpower." https://twitter.com/AKamyshin/status/1876908776042725878 Engels has been a target of Ukrainian drone strikes since December 2022, [when it was attacked three times]() in just that month. At the time, the Russian Defense Ministry (MoD) said the base was hit by[ Soviet-made jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles]() modified by Ukraine to carry explosives. The Russian MoD was referring to the jet-powered[ Tu-141 Strizh](), originally built as a reconnaissance UAV. Smaller Tu-143s have also likely been used. You can read about that[ here](). Since then, [Ukraine has ]()used [many kinds of ]()long-range strike drones in attacks [hundreds of miles into Russia](). https://twitter.com/Heroiam\_Slava/status/1827601663600824474?ref\_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1827601663600824474%7Ctwgr%5E5b43e7138fd7ff9598e4b861c1a1ec6e9358bbed%7Ctwcon%5Es1\_&ref\_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twz.com%2Fair%2Fukraine-says-it-has-tested-a-new-domestically-designed-ballistic-missile The attack on Engels comes as U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin heads off to Ramstein, Germany for the 25th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), a consortium of some 50 nations dedicated to helping arm Ukraine in its fight against Russia. With just two weeks left in the Biden administration, Thursday's meeting will be the last for Austin, the brainchild behind the UDCG. https://twitter.com/TaraCopp/status/1876823399235813670 Between 80% to 90% of weapons promised from U.S. stocks have been delivered, [a U.S. defense official told reporters on Tuesday.]() There is still roughly $4 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) commitments to be made before Donald Trump takes office. While a new arms package is scheduled to be announced Thursday, "we do not expect that we will have fully utilized all of the PDA authority available," the official told reporters. Beyond that, there are also contracts underway for the production of new ones. It remains unclear yet how Trump will approach the issue of funding Ukraine once he takes office on Jan. 20. In a wide-ranging press conference from Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, Trump declined to commit to continued support for Ukraine during any future peace negotiations. https://twitter.com/OstapYarysh/status/1876679883906334768 Even with future of U.S. support being put into question, Ukraine's homegrown long-range weapons, like those that struck Engels, can continue to reach increasingly further into Russia in an attempt to disrupt military operations and destroy highly valued targets. *Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com* ## Author Howard is a Senior Staff Writer for *TWZ*. He writes frequently about conflict, focusing heavily on the Middle East and Ukraine, and interviews with military and intelligence officials and industry leaders from around the globe. He lives near Tampa, Florida, home of U.S. Central Command, U.S. Special Operations Command. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [LinkedIn]()