Ukraine drone attack kills three in Russian airbase

Three people have died due to an attack by a Ukrainian drone on a bomber airbase in southern Russia, according to the Kremlin.

The drone was shot down by air defences close to the Engels base, but the falling debris killed three technical workers, according to the defence ministry.

Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out a similar strike on the airbase earlier this month. Several aircraft used to launch missile attacks against Ukraine are stationed at this base.

Nearly 650 kilometers (400 miles) lie between the base and the Ukrainian border.

The Ukrainian military has not formally acknowledged the latest strike.

However, Ukraine’s air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat claimed the explosions were a result of what Russia was doing on Ukrainian soil.

A few hours later, the Russian security service FSB declared that it had executed a four-person "sabotage group" that had been attempting to cross the Ukrainian border into Bryansk on Russian soil while carrying submachine guns and IEDs built in Germany. Although there is no other independent corroboration of the occurrence, the FSB published a video of what it claimed to be the "liquidation" of the group.

Early on Monday, footage of explosions and air sirens near Engels Airfield were shared on social media.

The drone was downed by Russia's air defenses at around 1am local time on Monday, according to the country's defense ministry (22:35 GMT Sunday).

Roman Busargin, the governor of Saratov, sent his sympathies to the men's friends and family and declared that there was "absolutely no threat to inhabitants" in the Engels town itself.

The full extent of Monday's attack will soon be seen in satellite imagery of the airfield, the spokesman for the Ukrainian air force said, adding that earlier explosions had damaged planes at the facility.

Since Moscow began its full-scale invasion on February 24, the Russian military has frequently launched missile attacks on numerous targets in Ukraine from the Engels air base.

Although the Kremlin has previously accused Ukraine of invading its territory, the most recent instances occurred much farther into Russian territory.