Drone attack reportedly hits major Russian oil refinery in Yaroslavl, triggers large fire

A major fire reportedly broke out at Russia’s Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery in Yaroslavlone of the country’s five largest fuel-processing plants, after an overnight drone attack on Dec. 12. The incident was reported by local officials and multiple Telegram channels early Friday morning.

Residents in Yaroslavl said they heard at least seven explosions during the night, followed by flames rising from the refinery, located over 700 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The region’s governor, Mikhail Yevrayevhad already issued a warning about a drone threat shortly before the reports surfaced.

OSINT trackers also confirmed that the refinery was struck. Astra, an independent Russia-based Telegram channel, published images and footage showing a fire burning at the site.

The Slavneft-YANOS refinery is a critical part of Russia’s fuel network, producing gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, with an annual processing capacity of 15 million tons of crude. The full extent of the damage from the reported strike is still unknown.

Multiple regions targeted overnight

The attack on Yaroslavl was part of a wider wave of drone activity across several Russian regions:

• Captures: A drone explosion damaged the lower floors of a residential building, injuring seven peopleaccording to local authorities.

• Smolensk and Moscow regions: Additional drone activity was reported.

• Moscow Sergei Sobian Sobanin said air defenses intercepted eight drones approaching the capital.

Ukraine has not commented on the incident.

Long-range Ukrainian drones have repeatedly targeted Russian oil and gas infrastructure in recent months as Kyiv attempts to disrupt Moscow’s key sources of wartime revenue. Attacks on refineries, depots, and fuel terminals have increased in scale and frequency throughout 2024–2025.