Ukrainian drone attack sparks fire at major oil refinery in Russia's Ryazan
Explosions were also heard in other regions (photo: Getty Images)
During the night of May 15, a series of powerful explosions were heard in Ryazan amid a drone attack. A large fire broke out at Ryazan oil refinery — one of the largest in Russia. Residents report 8-10 explosions in different parts of the city, according to an OSINT channel report.
What happened
Explosions began around 2 a.m. Witnesses report sounds of drones flying overhead, bright flashes in the sky, air defense activity, and heavy smoke. Videos and photos of a large-scale fire are spreading online.
According to monitoring resources, Ryazan oil refinery may have come under attack. Its design capacity is 17.1 million tons of oil per year, which accounts for about 5% of Russia's total oil refining.
"Unidentified drones" have reached Ryazan
— Gianl1974 (@Gianl1974) May 15, 2026
"Correspondents" report that a local refinery may have been hit. pic.twitter.com/glvZzoqf8m
No official information from local authorities about the consequences of the attack has been reported.
Strikes on the other regions
At the same time, attacks were recorded in several other regions of Russia. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin confirmed the interception of five drones in the Moscow region. Residents of Taganrog and Yeysk also reported active air defense operations.
On May 3-4, the Defense Forces carried out a series of strikes on Russian facilities in temporarily occupied territories. On May 8, a large-scale attack targeted strategic Russian facilities, including an oil refinery in Yaroslavl, fuel depots, and air defense systems.
During the night of May 13, the Tamanneftegaz oil terminal in the Krasnodar region (settlement of Volna) came under attack — fire broke out at the facility.
During the night of May 14, Ukrainian units carried out new strikes: enemy radar stations, air defense systems, and communication equipment were destroyed — both in occupied territories and in Russia.
