Ukraine strikes Russian air bases in 'preemptive strike' ahead of drone, missile attack, General Staff says
Ukrainian forces struck multiple Russian airfields and military facilities overnight on June 6, hours before Russia launched one of its heaviest aerial assaults of the war, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported.
Ukrainian strikes reportedly targeted Engels and Dyagilevo airfields — two key hubs for Russia's long-range bomber fleet, as well as logistics sites in Russia's Kursk Oblast.
Hours after the strikes, Russia attacked Ukraine with 452 drones and 45 missiles, killing at least five people and injuring 73 in one of the largest attacks of the full-scale war.
Engels-2 air base, located in Saratov Oblast, nearly 600 kilometers (370 miles) from Ukraine's front lines, hosts Russia's Tu-95, Tu-22M3, and Tu-160 bombers — aircraft regularly used in missile attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Ukraine's General Staff said a strike ignited large fires at the facility, hitting at least three fuel tanks. Footage and local reports confirmed a significant blaze and numerous explosions in the area.
Saratov Governor Roman Busargin acknowledged a fire at an unspecified "industrial enterprise" and damage from drones to a residential building. No casualties were reported.
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The Dyagilevo airfield in Ryazan Oblast, home to air refueling tankers and bomber escort fighters, was also targeted. The General Staff reported fire damage in the area, with Russian air defense activity and explosions recorded. Results of the strike are still being assessed.
Ukraine also claims to have struck a logistics center tied to the 30th Motorized Rifle Regiment of Russia's 72nd Division near Kulbaki in Kursk Oblast.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that 174 Ukrainian drones were intercepted overnight across 12 regions of Russia and occupied Crimea.
"Strikes on military infrastructure will continue until the Russian Federation's armed aggression against Ukraine is completely stopped," Ukraine's General Staff said.
The latest wave of Ukrainian strikes underscores Kyiv's evolving long-range strike capability, as well as its efforts to preemptively degrade Russian assets used in air assaults.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on June 1 launched Operation Spiderweb, a daring mass drone attack that damaged 41 Russian heavy bombers at four key airfields throughout the country.
The operation reportedly targeted A-50, Tu-95, and Tu-22 M3 planes parked at the Belaya, Diaghilev, Olenya, and Ivanovo air bases, causing approximately $7 billion in damage.
Read also: Russia plans to occupy Ukraine east of Dnipro, cut Black Sea access, Ukrainian official says
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