Ukrainian drones strike Russia's largest Rosneft refinery in Ryazan, hit oil processing unit, military says
Ukrainian drones struck multiple Russian oil facilities overnight on Sept. 5, including Russia's largest Rosneft refinery in Ryazan and an oil depot in occupied Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine's top drone warfare commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdi reported.
"Gasoline (in Russia) is becoming scarce, while gas and oil are quickly running out," he wrote.
Residents of Ryazan, a city 180 kilometers (120 miles) southeast of Moscow, told Russian pro-government media outlet Shot that they heard explosions around 2 a.m., followed by a blaze that lit up the sky.
Photos and videos circulating on social media appeared to show a large fire and thick black smoke rising from the refinery, located on the southern edge of the city.
According to Ukraine's General Staff, the ELOU-AVT-6 primary oil processing unit, with an estimated annual capacity of 6 million tons, was hit.
The plant, which has a capacity of 13.8 million tons per year, was previously struck by Ukrainian drones on Aug. 2, forcing two of its three main refining units to halt operations.
Ukraine's military said the facility plays a role in supporting Russia's armed forces.
Regional Governor Pavel Malkov claimed eight drones were shot down over Ryazan Oblast and said debris fell onto an industrial site, claiming no casualties or damage to residential areas.
The governor did not directly address reports of a fire at the refinery.
In occupied Luhansk Oblast, local residents reported black smoke over the area late on Sept. 4. Madyar said Ukrainian drones struck the region's oil depot, though the extent of the damage remains unclear.
The General Staff also said Ukrainian forces struck two S-400 Triumph air defense divisions in Russia's Kaluga Oblast. Preliminary data indicated hits on a command-and-control vehicle and a control center, the military added.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed it downed 92 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Ukraine has intensified long-range strikes against Russian energy facilities, targeting refineries and depots to cut into Moscow's war funding.
In August alone, Ukraine struck at least 12 refineries, shutting down facilities representing over 17% of national processing capacity, or 1.1 million barrels per day.
