Ryazan oil refinery in flames (Image: Exilenova )
Flames lit up the night sky over Ryazan as Ukrainian drones slammed into one of Russia’s biggest oil refineries in the early hours of Thursday, the fifth major hit on the country’s refining network in barely a week. Dramatic footage shared by Ukrainian monitoring channels showed long-range drones punching through defences and diving into the industrial zone of the Rosneft-owned Ryazan Oil Refinery.
Within minutes, thick orange fireballs and billowing black smoke rose above the plant that supplies fuel to Moscow and central Russia. Locals captured the scene from apartment blocks, the glow turning the sky an angry red. Online reactions were blunt: one widely shared clip carried the simple caption “holy f***”.
Ukrainian official Anton Gerashchenko posted video of the blaze and wrote: “In Russia, the Ryazan oil refinery is burning after a drone attack. Part of Rosneft, it is one of Russia’s largest oil processing facilities, with an annual capacity of around 17-18 million tonnes of crude oil.
“The plant produces gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, bitumen, and jet fuel, including TS-1 aviation kerosene used by Russian military aircraft. It supplies Moscow and other parts of central Russia and reportedly provides fuel for the Russian defence ministry.” He later shared further images with the dry caption: “Russian landscapes. Ryazan oil refinery after an attack.”
Ryazan Oblast Governor Pavel Malkov confirmed fires at industrial sites, power cuts across parts of the city and damage from falling debris. He reported one person injured and later claimed more than 200 drones had targeted the region. Independent Russian outlet Astra and Ukrainian channel Exilenova+ identified the refinery itself as the main target. A nearby Wildberries logistics warehouse was also reported ablaze.
In Russia, the Ryazan oil refinery is burning after a drone attack.Part of Rosneft, it is one of Russia’s largest oil processing facilities, with an annual capacity of around 17-18 million tonnes of crude oil.The plant produces gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, bitumen, and jet fuel, including TS-1 aviation kerosene used by Russian military aircraft.It supplies Moscow and other parts of central Russia and reportedly provides fuel for the Russian defense ministry.
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) November 5, 2026
The Ryazan plant is among Russia’s three largest. It has been hit before; an October 15 strike forced one primary crude unit offline.
This latest attack forms part of a relentless Ukrainian campaign that has already struck Novokuibyshevsk in Samara, Bashneft-Novoil in Ufa, Lukoil’s Kstovo plant and the Slavneft-YANOS refinery in Yaroslavl since October 30. Those three alone handle roughly 10 % of Russia’s refining capacity and more than 10 % of its diesel output.
Ukraine’s strategy is clear and deliberate. By targeting hard-to-replace refining units rather than crude production itself, Kyiv aims to choke the fuel that powers Russia’s war machine and squeeze the export revenues that fund it.
Western sanctions make repairing sophisticated equipment slow and costly. Russian officials routinely blame “falling debris” from intercepted drones, yet the fires keep spreading.
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The campaign resumed after a brief reported pause under US pressure. Washington had urged restraint ahead of midterm elections, but the strikes restarted almost immediately. Russia’s air defences claim to down hundreds of drones nightly, yet enough get through to keep the fires burning.
For ordinary Russians the effects are already visible: fuel shortages in some regions, rising prices and the unsettling sight of industrial plants on fire deep inside the country.
Moscow remains hundreds of kilometres from the front line, yet the war has arrived in its backyard in the form of cheap, long-range Ukrainian drones.
