Ukrainian drone strike sparks major fire at one of Russia’s largest oil refineries

Ukrainian drones struck the Slavneft-YANOS refinery in Yaroslavl overnight on 3 November, starting a large fire and damaging plant infrastructure, according to the regional governor. The attack matters because the facility is one of Russia’s largest oil refineries and has been targeted repeatedly.

The independent Telegram channel Astra reported at least seven fire sites, while Governor Mikhail Evraev said two refinery employees were injured by shrapnel. He reported that 124 drones attacking the city were shot down; homes and cars were damaged, and road traffic towards Moscow was closed for several hours, with public transport routes changed. The refinery can process up to 15 million metric tonnes of oil a year.