WATCH | Fireball erupts as Ukraine drone strikes Russian oil refinery in Yaroslavl
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "WATCH | Fireball erupts as Ukraine drone strikes Russian oil refinery in Yaroslavl")
WATCH | Fireball erupts as Ukraine drone strikes Russian oil refinery in Yaroslavl Photograph: (X/@ZelenskyyUa)
Ukraine’s drone strike set fire to Russia’s Slavneft-Yanos oil refinery in Yaroslavl, while a separate attack damaged three aircraft and three helicopters at a Rostov military airfield.
A Ukrainian drone attack set fire to the Slavneft-Yanos oil refinery in Russia’s Yaroslavl region overnight, damaging one of the country’s major fuel-processing facilities and raising fresh questions over a proposed pause in strikes on energy infrastructure. Yaroslavl Governor Mikhail Yevrayev on Thursday (Sep 17) confirmed damage to the refinery, which is jointly controlled by Rosneft and Gazprom.
“There’s damage to the oil refinery,” he said in a Telegram post. The blaze was extinguished by morning, with no casualties reported.
The latest strike also came as Russia continued attacking Ukrainian infrastructure. Kyiv said a major Russian overnight assault wounded people in the capital, while a Russian drone strike on a Tanzanian-flagged civilian vessel in the Black Sea killed its captain.
Major refinery, airfield hit
Slavneft-Yanos can process around 300,000 barrels of crude per day, equivalent to about 15 million metric tonnes annually. Ukraine has previously targeted the facility, arguing that it supplies fuel and lubricants to Russia’s military.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the latest strike and said Ukrainian forces also damaged three Russian transport aircraft and three helicopters at a military airfield in Rostov. He also shared the footage from the operation showing an explosion followed by plumes of smoke rising into the air.
Trending Stories
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
In a post on X, Zelensky wrote, “Last night, in a joint operation by the Security Service of Ukraine, the Unmanned Systems Forces, the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, and the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Yaroslavl oil refinery was hit.”
“The Security Service also carried out a precise strike on a military airfield in Rostov – the damage to an An-12, two An-26s, and three helicopters has been confirmed. There have also been good results in the Black Sea. Every day, we respond to aggression. Russia must choose peace,” he added.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said 641 Ukrainian drones were intercepted over Russia and occupied Crimea during the overnight barrage. In Rostov-on-Don, the attacks knocked out power in four districts, though local authorities reported no casualties.
Ukraine attacks refinery despite Trump’s warning
The attack comes just days after US President Donald Trump warned Zelensky against striking Russia’s oil refineries, saying that the attacks were “hurting the world” and resulting in fuel shortages. He also claimed that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop targeting each other’s energy infrastructure. Kyiv, however, has said any pause would depend on Russia halting similar attacks and on firm guarantees.
