On the night of May 5, 2026, several regions of Russia declared a heightened alert due to the threat of air strikes. According to monitoring resources, a missile threat was declared in the Penza Region and the Republic of Tatarstan.

Additionally, a "Drone Danger" alert was declared in Engels and surrounding areas of the Saratov Region. Due to the threat, Saratov Airport (Gagarin) imposed temporary restrictions on aircraft arrivals and departures. Engels is home to Russia's strategic aviation and the Engels-2 military airfield.

Earlier on the evening of May 4, Penza Region Governor Oleg Melnichenko announced the introduction of the "Unmanned Danger" regime and the "Carpet" plan in the region.

These measures are being introduced amid ongoing attacks by Ukrainian drones on Russian regions. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, air defense systems destroyed 507 Ukrainian drones in the past 24 hours alone. Military experts attribute the intensified attacks to Kyiv's attempts to heighten tensions in Russia ahead of Victory Day.