Ukrainian Drones Launch Precision Strikes on Major Rosneft Oil Refinery in Ryazan Region

Ukrainian drones targeted one of the largest oil refineries in Russia during the night in the Ryazan region, located southeast of Moscow, as reported by Ukraine’s military on Friday.

The Governor of the Ryazan region, Pavel Malkov, confirmed the attack, referring to the facility as an “industrial enterprise.” He noted that eight drones were shot down in the vicinity and there were no reported injuries or damage to residential buildings.

NASA’s fire monitoring system identified two active fires at the Ryazan refinery, which is operated by Rosneft. Witnesses reported hearing explosions around 2 a.m. local time, followed by flames and dense smoke on the southern outskirts of the city.

According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, nine out of 92 Ukrainian drones launched overnight were intercepted over Ryazan.

This refinery, one of the five largest in Russia, had previously been hit in early August, forcing Rosneft to reduce production there by approximately 50%. It processes between 13.7 million and 17.1 million tons of crude oil each year.

In recent months, Ukraine has intensified its attacks on Russia’s oil infrastructure, which is a vital revenue source for the ongoing war. A series of strikes last month reportedly disabled around 20% of Russia’s refining capacity, approximately equating to 1.1 million barrels per day, which has led to a significant rise in domestic fuel prices.