Drones strike one of Russia's largest oil refineries
Photo: nighttime drone attack on Yaroslavl (Wikipedia)
Drones attacked one of Russia's largest oil refineries overnight. The target was a facility in Yaroslavl, according to local Telegram posts and Yaroslavl Region Governor Mikhail Yevraev.
Drones attacked the Yaroslavl region overnight. The Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery, the sixth-largest in Russia, which processes about 15 million tons of oil per year, may have been hit.
Videos showing drones over the city have been circulating on local social media. Yaroslavl Region Governor Mikhail Yevraev confirmed that the region had come under a massive drone attack, with no casualties reported.
Drones strike one of Russia's largest oil refineries pic.twitter.com/MnDhEkDBd6
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) May 19, 2026
"Most of the drones were shot down, but an industrial facility was struck. Special services are extinguishing the fire," he wrote.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that overnight, air defense forces allegedly shot down 315 Ukrainian drones.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that strikes on Russia in recent months have allegedly destroyed 10% of its oil refining capacity, and explained why the shutdown of oil wells is particularly painful for Russia.
Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Robert Brovdi, call sign Magyar, revealed details of Moscow’s air defense system and stated that a simultaneous salvo could exceed 700 anti-aircraft missiles. However, the drones still broke through.
