Russia Shooting Fall Drone Ukraine Near Long Distance Bombing Base, Three Troops Died

Russia's Tu-95 bomber at the Digels Air Base. (Wikimedia Commons/Dmitriy Pichugin/Ruussian AviaPhoto Team)

Russia said it had shot down a Ukrainian drone near one of its air bases, the headquarters for long-range bombers, within its own territory on Monday, resulting in three Russian air force personnel killed in the incident.

The drone allegedly flew near the Russian Enriques Air Base where a long-range strategic bomber may have been used to target based Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

"No aircraft were damaged in the incident," the defense ministry said in a statement broadcast by Russian news agencies.

Unverified Russian and Ukrainian social media accounts reported that a number of aircraft had been destroyed. Reuters was unable to independently verify the report.

One of the two strategic bomber bases that host Russia's air delivery nuclear capability is located near Saratov City, about 730 km (450 miles) southeast of Moscow and hundreds of kilometers from the frontline in Ukraine.

There was no immediate comment from Ukraine, which has never publicly claimed responsibility for the attacks on Russia, calling them "karma" for Russia's invasion on February 24.

The same air base was attacked earlier this month by Ukrainian drones, Russia said at the time.

"A Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) was shot down at low altitude as it approached the Enriques military airfield in the Saratov region," a Defense Ministry statement said, published on Monday.

"Three Russian soldiers from technical staff who were on the airfield were seriously injured by the crash of the wreckage of the drone," the statement continued.

Separately, Roman Busargin, governor of the Saratov region, said civilian infrastructure facilities were not damaged in the latest incident at the base, which authorities said was investigating.

"There is absolutely no threat to residents. Civil infrastructure facilities are not damaged," said Busargin.

Russia is known to have 60 to 70 strategic bombers of two types, Tupolev Tu-95MS Bear and Tu-160 Blackjack. Both are capable of carrying nuclear bombs and nuclear armed cruise missiles as well as conventional ammunition.

Moscow has used its air force to fire cruise missiles in what it calls a "special military operation" to reduce Ukraine's military potential. Meanwhile, Kyiv said such attacks constituted a war crime and likened Russia to a terrorist state.

The previous December 5 attack on the same base, along with attacks on other bases, raised questions about the effectiveness of Russia's air defenses and shocked Russian commentators.

If Ukraine could strike so far in Russia, it might also strike Moscow, they said on social media.