Ukrainian drones target one of Russia's largest oil refineries in Yaroslavl, Tu-95 bomber at Engels base in overnight attack

Ukrainian drones struck the Yaroslavl oil refinery, one of Russia's largest oil processing facilities, overnight on Aug. 28, the General Staff confirmed, with attacks also reported on Moscow and the region.

In a separate operation a Tu-95 strategic heavy bomber was damaged at Engels air base in Saratov Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The target of the attack was the Slavneft-YANOS refinery, one of Russia's largest oil processing facilities, the General Staff said, adding that damage to the refinery was still being assessed.

The first footage published by Telegram channel Supernova+ earlier in the morning appeared to show at least two separate fires burning on the plant's territory.

The latest attack marked the eighth on the Slavneft-YANOS refinery in 2026, which has been targeted repeatedly in previous Ukrainian attacks, including on Aug. 6, July 16, July 6, May 22, May 8, April 26, and March 28.

The Slavneft-YANOS refinery, located about 250 kilometers (150 miles) northeast of Moscow and roughly 700 kilometers (435 miles) from Ukraine's border, processes around 15 million tons of oil per year, making it one of Russia's five largest oil refineries.

The plant produces gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation kerosene, oils, bitumen, liquefied gases, and fuel oil. It is the main refining asset of Slavneft, which is jointly controlled by Russian state energy giants Rosneft and Gazprom.

Earlier, Yaroslavl Oblast Governor Mikhail Yevraev reported a drone threat in the region. Traffic in the direction of Moscow was restricted, while public transport routes were adjusted following the attack.

Yevraev said the drone attack on the region killed one person and injured 27 others. According to the governor, 10 people were injured when drone debris fell onto a bus.

Debris also fell on industrial infrastructure, residential areas, and shops, without specifying which facilities or areas were affected, Yevraev added.

Ukrainian forces also targeted a Tu-95 in a separate operation. The strategic bomber is one of Russia's main platforms for mass cruise missile attacks against Ukraine and often operates from Engels Air Base, more than 600 kilometers (370 miles) from Ukrainian-controlled territory.

According to Zelensky, the successful strike on the plane was carried out by the Alpha special forces unit of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the same unit that carried out Operation Spiderweb in June 2025, using small truck-launched drones to strike strategic bombers at airfields deep inside Russian territory.

No more details about the strike on the Tu-95 were disclosed.

Elsewhere in Russia, Ukrainian drones also attacked Russia's capital and Moscow Oblast. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said Russian air defenses shot down two drones heading toward Moscow.

Astra reported that a column of black smoke rose over the town of Pavlovsky Posad, located about 65 kilometers (40 miles) east of Moscow. The cause of the fire was unclear, the media outlet added.

The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify the reports.

Kyiv considers Russian energy infrastructure a legitimate military target, as oil facilities provide fuel for Russian forces and generate revenue that helps finance Moscow's war against Ukraine.