The Russian Federation activated the Engels-2 airbase, from which the Tu-95 and Tu-160 take off: what has changed (photo)

Construction began in October, and the first signs that something was planned were in the spring of 2025. OSINTer's post appeared on October 11. Avi Vector published a satellite photo of the Russian airbase and marked the areas where construction is underway. He noticed new concrete platforms in the southern part. According to him, before that, on September 30, similar works were carried out on new lanes.

Before that, the Russians carried out the corresponding earthworks, which were observed from the satellite. Avi Vector explained that the Russian Armed Forces will receive 12 new sites for parking bombers, which will be connected to the rest of the air base by taxiways. Another OSINTer with the nickname StefanB2023 added that the Russians had plans to expand the air base back in 2016, after major renovations.

According to him, the work began in March 2025: the traffic lanes will be connected at a conditional "intersection", which he marked on a satellite photo. "The taxiways will form a large circle and connect with the locations marked in yellow," StefanB2023's post reads. It should be noted that "Engels-2" is a Russian air base in the Saratov region of the Russian Federation (700 km from Ukraine), from which strategic bombers take off for missile strikes against Ukrainians.

The air base is designed for Tu-95 (can launch 6-8 X-101 missiles) and Tu-160 (about 12 X-101) aircraft. These bombers took part, for example, in a mass strike on June 6. According to the Defense Express portal, five T-95s and two Tu-160s took off. The seven planes fired a total of 36 missiles, that is, they did not have a full load (otherwise there would be 54 to 64 X-101s). Other air bases used for strikes on Ukraine were hit by SBU drones during Operation Web.

The agency published footage of a raid by drones that exploded as a result of strikes against the bodies of bombers of the Russian Armed Forces. After that, some of the expensive planes, which are no longer being built in the Russian Federation, were taken to bases in the Far East, analysts wrote. We remind you that on September 10, another massive missile and drone attack by the Russian Federation on Ukraine took place: according to the data of the Air Force, 42 X-101s flew.