Ukraine strikes Tu-95 bomber at Engels airbase and oil refinery as Russia retaliates with massive drone barrage

Ukraine has escalated its deep-strike campaign against Russian military and economic infrastructure, hitting a Tu-95MS strategic bomber at Engels airbase and an oil refinery in Yaroslavl Oblast on 28 August. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the strikes, describing them as a direct response to Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities Source: Ukrainska Pravda.

“In Russia's Engels, warriors of the Security Service of Ukraine's Alpha unit struck a Tu-95MS missile-carrying aircraft. These are the aircraft that are carrying out strikes against Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said. The Tu-95MS is a Soviet-era strategic bomber that Russia uses to launch Kh-101, Kh-555 and Kh-55 cruise missiles at Ukrainian targets. The attack on the airbase, located deep inside Russian territory, is one of the most significant Ukrainian strikes on a strategic asset since the start of the war.

At the same time, Ukrainian forces hit an oil refinery in Yaroslavl Oblast, roughly 1,000 km from the front line, and struck Russian targets in the Black Sea. “Russians must feel what their war is like,” Zelenskyy added.

Russia unleashes 162 drones on Ukraine

Moscow responded with one of its largest drone barrages of the war. On the night of 25–26 August, Russia launched 162 Shahed, Gerbera and Parodiya decoy drones at Ukraine. Ukraine’s Air Force reported that air defence destroyed or jammed 134 of them, but hits were recorded at 18 locations Source: Ukrainska Pravda.

The attacks hit civilian infrastructure across the country. In Kharkiv’s Osnovianskyi district, a drone strike set a warehouse on fire; no casualties were reported Source: Ukrainska Pravda. In Kyiv Oblast, Russian drones and ballistic missiles damaged warehouses in the Boryspil and Fastiv districts on the night of 26–27 August, injuring a 15-year-old girl and a 73-year-old woman Source: Ukrainska Pravda.

One of the most poignant losses was the destruction of the Budynok Ihrashok (House of Toys) distribution centre, which shipped toys daily to stores across Ukraine. The company confirmed that no employees were injured but that orders would be delayed or cancelled Source: Ukrainska Pravda.

Ukrainian drones continue to hit Russian e-commerce hubs

Ukraine’s campaign against Russian economic infrastructure continued. On the night of 25–26 August, drones struck the Wildberries logistics centre in Kotovsk, Tambov Oblast, a key facility capable of storing up to 54 million items. Tambov Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov said the centre was “completely destroyed by fire,” with around 100,000 square metres ablaze Source: Al Jazeera. At least three people were killed in separate drone attacks across Russia, including a 14-year-old boy in Lipetsk Oblast and a woman in Belgorod Oblast.

Two days later, Ozon reported drone attacks on its logistics facilities in Ufa and Orenburg. The company said all employees were evacuated and no casualties occurred, though the Ufa complex sustained minor damage Source: Ukrainska Pravda. Unconfirmed reports also emerged of a fire at an Ozon warehouse in Blagoveshchensk, Bashkortostan.

War spillover reaches Bulgaria

The conflict’s reach extended beyond the warring parties. The Bulgarian Navy identified wreckage from several drones washed ashore along the country’s Black Sea coast, including on Kabakum beach near Varna and near Pomorie. A specialised team confirmed the drones contained no explosives and removed them Source: Ukrainska Pravda. Similar debris was found on a Romanian beach the same day, underscoring how drone fragments from the war are drifting into NATO territory.

What it means

Ukraine’s ability to strike a Tu-95MS at Engels – an airbase that has been used repeatedly to launch cruise missiles at Ukrainian power grids – marks a tactical shift. It forces Russia to reconsider the security of its strategic bomber fleet and may reduce the tempo of missile strikes. At the same time, the sustained campaign against e-commerce warehouses like Wildberries and Ozon aims to disrupt Russia’s domestic economy and logistics, though Moscow insists these facilities remain civilian.

Russia’s response – massive drone salvos targeting warehouses, distribution centres and residential areas – shows no sign of abating. For European readers, the appearance of drone debris on Bulgarian and Romanian beaches is a tangible reminder that this war’s borders are not limited to Ukraine.