Ukrainian Drone Attack Sparks Fire at Yaroslavl Oil Refinery

Sep. 17, 2026 Smoke rising from the Slavneft-Yanos refinery following a drone strike on Sept. 17, 2026. @supernova_plus / Telegram An overnight Ukrainian drone attack sparked a fire at one of Russia’s largest oil refineries in the city of Yaroslavl northeast of Moscow, Yaroslavl region Governor Mikhail Yevrayev said Thursday. “There’s damage to the oil refinery,” Yevrayev wrote in a post on Telegram, referring to the Slavneft-Yanos refinery, which is jointly controlled by Rosneft and Gazprom. Ukraine’s military has previously claimed attacks on Slavneft-Yanos, saying it provides fuel and lubricants for the Russian military. Slavneft-Yanos has a crude processing capacity of 300,000 barrels per day, or 15 million metric tons per year. Governor Yevrayev reported no casualties and said the refinery fire was fully extinguished by Thursday morning. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the strike on Slavneft-Yanos and reported damage to three Russian transport aircraft and three helicopters in a separate attack on a military airfield in the southern Rostov region. Rostov region Governor Yury Slyusar said an overnight air barrage cut power to four districts in the regional capital Rostov-on-Don, where around two-fifths of the city’s residents live. No one was hurt in the strikes, he added. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it intercepted 641 Ukrainian drones across Russia and annexed Crimea between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Russia’s Central Election Commission, which is running parliamentary and regional elections this weekend, said one of its members was killed in a drone attack in the occupied Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia earlier on Tuesday. In Kyiv, authorities said a large-scale Russian attack on the city overnight wounded at least 16 people. Several others were reported injured in separate attacks across Ukraine. Ukraine’s latest attacks targeting Russian oil refineries came despite an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump earlier in the week that Moscow and Kyiv allegedly agreed to pause such attacks. The Russian military has also continued to strike Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Trump has sought to blame the surging cost of diesel in the United States on Ukrainian strikes against Russian fuel production facilities and supply lines. While Ukraine’s attacks have put pressure on gasoline and diesel prices both inside Russia and globally, analysts broadly agree that the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war against Iran is the leading cause of current disruptions in energy markets. Read more about: Drones , Ukraine war , Yaroslavl Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Ukrainian Drones Strike Oil Refineries in Yaroslavl and Bashkortostan Authorities in the Tver region, meanwhile, reported damage to a warehouse operated by online retail giant Wildberries. 2 Min read At Least 3 Killed in Ukrainian Attacks Across Russia The Defense Ministry said it intercepted 375 Ukrainian drones across Russia and Crimea between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. 2 Min read Feature ‘I Don’t Know When This Will End’: As Ukraine Steps Up Strikes, Crimea Grapples With Fuel Shortages and Blackouts Kyiv's campaign to isolate Crimea and ramp up pressure on Moscow is transforming life on the annexed peninsula. 5 Min read Ukraine Launches Largest Drone Attack on Moscow Since March More than 40 unarmed aircraft were destroyed on approach to the Russian capital between Monday night and Tuesday morning, local officials said. 1 Min read