Engels has “sufficient forces and resources to localize the fire,” he had previously stated.
More than 40 explosions followed as fire ravaged the facility 14 hours after the strike.
Thick plumes of smoke enveloped the city that houses one of Russia‘s most important airbases, Engels-2 which comprises two of Russia‘s deadly strategic bombers capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads, namely Tu-95MS Bear and Tu-160 White Swan.
These planes have been deployed by the Kremlin to bomb Ukraine. Putin has also commanded they be flown over the Baltic Sea and North Atlantic to flex Russia‘s military muscle.
According to initial reports, two fuel tanks were set on fire in the early hours of the morning before the blaze spread to other tanks, causing new explosions that Russian firefighters found hard to counter.
Ukraine claimed responsibility for the attack.
DON’T MISS:
Recently, a North Korean self-propelled gun made its maiden appearance on the Russian frontlines, months after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the mass production of suicide drones.
In a strategic defense partnership, North Korea supplied over 10,000 troops to aid Moscow’s ongoing offense in Ukraine which prompted outgoing US President Joe Biden to authorize Kyiv to use US-made ATACMS missiles to strike deeper into Russia.
Kyiv’s use of the missiles prompted backlash from Putin who issued a chilling threat to the West about potential backlash.
According to Ukraine‘s military agency, the GUR, more than 30 North Korean troops had been killed or wounded in December.
Zelensky had previously claimed on X that Russians are “cynically” resorting to “even worse” strategies including asking North Korean troops to conceal their faces to hide the staggering loss of personnel.
“Russians are trying… to literally burn the faces of North Korean soldiers killed in battle in a demonstration of disrespect, which is currently prevalent in Russia, a disrespect to everything human,” he had added.