Explosions at two military airfields in Russia kill three, injure seven

Europe, News December 6, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

At least three were killed and more than eight people have been reported injured in two separate explosions that took place in two Russian military airfields at Ryazan and Saratov near Moscow on December 6, 2022.

Russia’s state-owned media outlets reported that a fuel tanker explosion killed three and injured six in an airfield near the city Ryazan, south-east of Moscow. Another two people were reported to have been wounded in an explosion at an airfield in the Saratov region. So far it is unclear what caused the explosion.

Both airfields are hundreds of kilometers away from the Ukrainian border. It is believed that Russia’s long-range strategic bombers were present at the Engels airbase in Saratov when the explosion took place. Although Ukraine has not indicated any sort of involvement in the explosions, simultaneous explosions at two military airbases have raised suspicions about Ukraine’s involvement in the incident.

Several local residents of Saratov took to social media to report a loud bang and a flash at the region’s Engels air base. Saratov’s regional governor Roman Busargin confirmed the reports of an incident at military installations. “I want to assure you that no emergencies occurred in the residential areas of the city. There are no reasons for concern. No civilian infrastructure was damaged,” Busargin announced on social media.

The Engels airbase is about 730 kilometers southeast of Russia’s capital Moscow. It is one of the two most important airbases for the Russian military housing Russia’s air-delivered nuclear-capable strategic bombers. The second such airbase is in the Amur region in the Russian Far East.

Russia has 60 to 70 strategic bomber planes of two types, the Tu-95MS Bear and the Tu-160 Blackjack. Both are capable of carrying nuclear bombs and nuclear-armed cruise missiles.

*^{A damaged military vehicle and Tu-22M3 after a explosion in Dyagilevo airbase near Ryazan, Russia. (Image Credit: Twitter/@sternenko)}*

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that so far it is not clear what caused the explosion. He stated that “I don’t have that information. I’ve just seen the media reports, but don’t have specific information. I can’t comment. I recommend you contact the defense ministry.”

Ukrainian officials have acknowledged the incident on social media while keeping a cautious approach. Adviser to Ukrainian President Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter that “If something is launched into other countries’ airspace, sooner or later unknown flying objects will return to (their) departure point.”

In August this year, at least seven Russian warplanes were destroyed in an explosion at a Russian airbase in Crimea. Ukraine never claimed responsibility for that incident and instead termed such incidents are “karma” for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.