Drone attack reportedly hits one of Russia’s largest oil refineries in Yaroslavl, setting it on fire
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Russia’s Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery in Yaroslavl, one of the country’s five largest, is reportedly on fire after being struck in an overnight drone attack on Dec. 12, officials and local Telegram channels said.
Residents reported at least seven explosions over the city, followed by reports of a fire at the Slavneft-YANOS refinery, located more than 700 kilometers (435 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
Open-source intelligence (OSINT) said the facility was struck, while Yaroslavl Governor Mikhail Yevrayev had earlier warned of a drone threat in the region.
Astra, an independent Telegram channel based in Russia, posted photos and video of an ongoing fire at the facility on the morning of Dec. 12.
The Slavneft-YANOS plant is a major producer of fuels including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, with a processing capacity of about 15 million tons of crude per year.
Multiple other regions were targeted throughout the night, including Tver, Smolensk, and Moscow. In Tver, a drone explosion damaged the lower floors of a residential building and injured seven people, according to local authorities.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian air defenses intercepted eight drones approaching the capital.
The extent of the damage remains unclear, and Ukraine has not commented on the reported strike.
Ukraine repeatedly uses homegrown long-range drones to launch attacks on Russia's oil infrastructure. Russia's oil and gas production has continued to come under attack as Kyiv attempts to cripple Moscow's primary source of funding for its war in Ukraine.
