Russia revealed the names and ranks of the Russian military that had been liquidated. They died in the explosion at Engels Air Base.

The Engels strategic aviation air base in the Saratov region was attacked for the second time in a row by unknown drones on December 26.

According to open data, Tu-160 and Tu-95MS strategic bombers of long-range aviation are located at this airbase.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the unmanned vehicle had been shot down.

But three Russian servicemen who were at the airfield were fatally injured as a result of the fall of the wreckage of the drone, the ministry said.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation asserted that the aircraft was not damaged.

On December 28, the funeral service for the dead Russian military was held at the Engels air base.

Names and ranks of the liquidated Russian military personnel:

• Voronov Andrei Nikolaevich — a Guard Major, Tu-160 engineer of the Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment, combat veteran.
• Anufrienko Maxim Andreevich – Guard Senior Lieutenant, Tu-160 engineer of the aircraft maintenance group and aircraft engines of the aviation engineering service of the Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment aviation squadron.
• Pampukhin Alexander Anatolyevich – Guard Senior Lieutenant, Tu-160 engineer of the Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment.

This is the second attack on the strategic aviation air base in Engels within a month.

On December 5, the Russian military announced the interception of drones aimed at two Russian strategic aviation airfields – in the Saratov and Ryazan regions.

At the Diaghilevo military airfield near Ryazan, three servicemen were then killed.

According to the Russian side, that time the mobile power generator caught fire and exploded. As a result, three people were killed, six more were injured. One Tu-22M3 bomber was damaged in the incident that day.