Russia is believed to have accidentally bombed a village near its own airfield where nuclear bomber strike aircraft are based. The incident happened on October 12 over Engels city in Saratov region, when a FAB-500 bomb loaded with 0.2 tons of TNT equivalent explosives reportedly detached from a warplane and hit a village less than nine miles from the high security strategic airbase. The bomb did not explode and there were no casualties on the ground, according to ASTRA, a Russian independent media outlet.
The base is home to Russia’s Tu-160 Blackjack and Tu-95MS Bear strategic bombers. It also reportedly stores nuclear warheads for Kh-55/Kh-102 air-launched cruise missiles. The plane was likely on its way to bomb Ukraine as it took off from the Engels-2 airbase, Vladimir Putin’s key hub for strategic aviation.
“Due to system imperfections, the bombs do not always reach their targets and fall on Russian territory,” ASTRA claimed.
According to the outlet, there are now at least 126 cases of aviation bombs and three missiles being unleashed “accidentally” on Russian territory or on Putin-occupied Ukraine since the start of this year. In 2024, there were 165 such cases.
The bombers stationed there are considered to be of critical importance in the event of a nuclear World War 3. Ukraine has previously carried out drone attacks on the Engels-2 airfield base, which dates back to Soviet times, and its fuel storage facilities.
Dmytro Zhmailo, the executive director of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center, told The Telegraph the destruction of military facilities in Engels has always been a priority for Ukraine to grind down Russia’s ability to wage war and blunt its crippling aerial bombardment.
In March, videos verified by Reuters showed a plume of smoke and an intense fire near the base in Engels. The damage was caused by 132 Ukrainian drones that left an airfield on fire, wrecked nearby cottages and forced residents to evacuate.