Drones hit one of Russia's biggest oil refineries
Illustrative photo: Drones attacked an oil refinery in Yaroslavl (Russian media)
Drones attacked Yaroslavl in Russia overnight. One of the country’s largest oil refineries may have been the target, according to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and OSINT analysts.
Videos published by Telegram channels show a bright flash above the city. OSINT analysts established that the footage was filmed from Frunze Avenue in Yaroslavl. The possible target, the Slavneft-YANOS refinery, is more than 7 kilometers from the filming location.
No official confirmation has been issued regarding strikes on any enterprise in the region.
Yaroslavl region governor Mikhail Yevrayev only reported that an attack by Ukrainian drones had been repelled.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the attack on the refinery in Yaroslavl.
Drones attacked Russia's Yaroslavl overnight pic.twitter.com/8LnVud3Muj
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) May 22, 2026
“In particular, overnight, the Defense Forces of Ukraine operated against targets associated with the Yaroslavl oil refinery – about 700 kilometers from our territory. We are bringing the war back home – to Russia – and that’s only fair,” the statement said.
What is Slavneft-YANOS?
The Novoyaroslavsky Oil Refinery is one of the five largest in Russia. The enterprise processes about 15 million tons of oil annually.
The refinery is a key asset of Slavneft. Nearly all shares in the company — 99.7% — are equally owned by Rosneft and Gazprom.
Ukrainian drones have attacked the refinery multiple times. During a strike on Yaroslavl on the night of May 8, a fire broke out at the refinery.
Meanwhile, Russia’s oil refining industry is facing increasing pressure. As RBC-Ukraine previously reported, gas station operators in Russia are selling the country’s most popular AI-92 gasoline at a loss — minus 84 kopecks per liter.
Another major Russian refinery, Lukoil’s Nizhny Novgorod refinery, also partially halted production after a drone strike. The plant is the country’s second-largest gasoline producer.
