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OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
5:32 PM – Thursday, March 20, 2025
About 700 kilometers (435 miles) from the war’s front lines, Ukraine utilized drones to strike a major Russian strategic bomber airfield on Thursday, setting off a massive explosion and a large fire, according to Russian and Ukrainian officials.
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However, in Ukraine, three people were also injured in a retaliatory “massive drone strike” by Russian forces on Thursday on the Black Sea port of Odesa — which damaged a shopping mall and a high-rise residential complex, according to the regional governor.
Oleh Kiper, the governor of Odesa Oblast, claimed that three sections of the Ukrainian city were without electricity and that strikes had ignited fires in three different areas.
According to political analysts, it now seems as though the anticipated U.S.-backed ceasefire deal between Ukraine and Russia will not be reached or followed through, and if it is, peace will not be transpiring as quickly as President Donald Trump and other world leaders had hoped.
In Russia, Reuters-verified footage showed a massive explosion erupting from the airfield—destroying neighboring houses. Additional footage revealed a massive fire and smoke plume rising into the early sky. According to Russia’s defense ministry, despite the hit, 132 Ukrainian drones were still shot down by air defenses over Russian territory.
The Soviet-era Engels base is home to Russia’s Tupolev Tu-160 nuclear-capable heavy strategic bombers, also referred to as “White Swans,” informally.
Saratov’s governor, Roman Busargin, reported that inhabitants in the area had been evacuated after a Ukrainian drone attack on the city of Engels set an airstrip on fire. Although the Engels facility is the primary airstrip in the region, he made no mention of it, Reuters reported.
Nevertheless, according to Ukraine’s defense ministry, its forces had in fact hit the airfield, prompting ammunition to detonate. Kyiv also claimed that Russia had previously attacked them while using the Engels facility.
Russian authorities claimed that the attack injured at least ten people. Some surprised locals also described finding pieces of Ukrainian drones on their lawn. Ukraine used Liutyi and PD-2 drones in the attack.
Maxim Leonov, the head of the Engels district, announced that a local state of emergency had been declared — but he provided few specifics.
The Engels air base has been the target of ongoing assaults by Ukraine since December 2022, just as Odessa has been a usual Ukrainian target for Russia.
Meanwhile, responsive social media users on X chimed in to the conversation, speaking on the ongoing conflict.
“Why would Russia agree to a ceasefire when it is winning AND Zelensky keeps making ‘redline’ statements that Russia will need to leave Crimea and Donbas before there can be peace. Russia isn’t leaving,” said one X user.
“Russia is so evil and just needs to leave Ukraine alone, all Putin wants to do is kill,” said another X user.
Russia’s Sudzha gas pipeline located on the Kursk-Sumy border has been hit.
Russia says Ukraine has already violated the ceasefire proposed by the US. pic.twitter.com/vrlDZJljIf
— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 20, 2025
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