UKRAINE HITS RUSSIA’S OIL HEARTLAND HARD: YAROSLAVL REFINERY BURNS AFTER MASSIVE DRONE SWARM

Ukrainian forces launched a major overnight drone attack on the Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery in Yaroslavl, Russia’s fifth-largest facility, setting off multiple large fires across the plant. Eyewitness photos and video show intense orange flames and thick black smoke rising over the complex roughly 155 miles northeast of Moscow.

Yaroslavl Governor Mikhail Evraev confirmed the strike damaged refinery infrastructure and that two plant employees suffered shrapnel wounds. He also reported that debris from downed drones shattered windows in nearby apartment buildings and private homes and damaged cars. Russian officials claimed air defenses shot down 124 drones during the raid.

The refinery processes about 15 million metric tons of crude oil each year and supplies fuel to Moscow and central Russia. Ukraine has repeatedly targeted the same site throughout 2026 as part of a sustained campaign against Russian energy infrastructure. Ukrainian sources described the attack as a swarm operation that produced several distinct fire sites.

This latest strike comes as Ukraine continues pressing Russian oil processing capacity deep inside the country, forcing repeated repairs and temporary disruptions at major facilities. Russian authorities acknowledged the damage while emphasizing the number of drones intercepted. The fires were still being fought as reports circulated.