Ukrainian Drones Strike Two Major Russian Refineries; Yaroslavl Hit by Largest-Ever Attack
Alina Collins
Ukraine on Thursday struck two major Russian refineries simultaneously with long-range drones. The Yaroslavl governor called it the region's largest-ever drone attack; Zelensky said the goal is to cut the oil revenue Russia uses to fund the war.
What was hit, and where?
Two targets struck on the same day: the Bashneft-Novoil refinery in Bashkortostan and the Slavneft-YANOS refinery in Yaroslavl Oblast.
YANOS is one of Russia's largest refining facilities — it processes roughly 15 million tonnes of crude per year, employs over 3,500 people, and produces gasoline, jet fuel, and lubricants.
The plant sits about 274 km northeast of Moscow, hundreds of miles from the Ukrainian border. This means → Ukraine's drone strike range now extends well beyond the front line.
What happened to Yaroslavl's air defenses?
Governor Mikhail Yevrayev called it the "largest-ever drone attack" on the region. Air-defense systems and electronic warfare downed 93 drones.
Falling debris still hit refinery storage tanks, sparking a fire that emergency crews are battling.
Four people were injured; no one was killed. In plain terms = even when most drones are intercepted, the debris alone can damage large fuel-storage infrastructure.
Why does Ukraine keep hitting refineries?
Zelensky stated the purpose explicitly: "to limit Russia's oil revenue, which is used to fund the war and kill Ukrainians."
This reflects a strategic logic — not about seizing territory, but about degrading the enemy's economic capacity to sustain the fight.
Russia had already imposed multiple nationwide restrictions on gasoline sales after repeated strikes on refineries, fuel depots, and logistics hubs. This means → earlier attacks are producing a cumulative effect.
What does this mean for Russia's fuel supply?
YANOS has been hit multiple times before. Another strike adds pressure to repair timelines and capacity recovery.
Two major refineries struck on the same day tests the redundancy of Russia's refining system — how much output the network can sustain when individual facilities go offline.
Whether this further squeezes Russia's wartime fuel capacity remains to be seen — but the trend is clear: strike frequency is rising, and targets are reaching deeper.
Content is for reference only, not financial advice.