Russian oil refinery targeted in overnight Ukrainian drone attack - VIDEO
A major Ukrainian drone strike targeted one of Russia’s largest oil refineries overnight, hitting deep inside Russian territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the operation, stating that the attack on the facility, located roughly 700 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, was part of a broader effort to bring the war back home to Russia.
Videos circulating on social media showed a bright flash lighting up the night sky over the city of Yaroslavl. Open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysts identified the location of the footage, placing the likely target as the massive Slavneft-YANOS refinery. While local governor Mikhail Yevrayev claimed that air defenses successfully repelled the Ukrainian drone attack, official Russian sources have not yet confirmed any direct damage to local enterprises, News.Az reports, citing RBC-Ukraine.
💥Drones attacked Russia's Yaroslavl overnight pic.twitter.com/8LnVud3Muj
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) May 22, 2026
The Novoyaroslavsky Oil Refinery (Slavneft-YANOS) ranks among Russia's top five refining facilities, processing over 15 million tons of crude oil annually. It is a critical energy asset jointly owned by Russian state giants Rosneft and Gazprom. This is not the first time the facility has been in the crosshairs; a previous drone strike on May 8 triggered a significant fire at the complex.
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The latest strike comes at a time of mounting economic pressure on Russia's energy sector. Ongoing drone campaigns have disrupted operations at several facilities, including Lukoil's Nizhny Novgorod plant, the country's second-largest gasoline producer. As a result of the tightening supply chain, Russian gas station operators are reportedly selling the highly popular AI-92 gasoline at a financial loss.
By Aysel Mammadzada
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