Ukraine launched what Russian officials described as the largest drone attack on the Yaroslavl region since the war began, targeting key infrastructure, including oil refineries located hundreds of kilometres from the frontline. The overnight strikes came as both Russia and Ukraine reported fresh attacks on each other’s territory, underscoring the escalating use of long-range drones in the conflict.
Yaroslavl Governor Mikhail Yevrayev said air defence systems and electronic warfare units intercepted a large number of incoming drones during the assault. However, falling debris reportedly caused fires at three private homes, shattered windows in several apartment buildings and damaged multiple vehicles. Authorities said information regarding possible casualties was still being verified.
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Ukrainian media reported that the Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery in Yaroslavl caught fire following the drone strike. The refinery is one of Russia’s significant fuel-processing facilities and lies more than 1,000 kilometres from the frontline.
Elsewhere, officials in Russia’s Tver region said drone debris struck a Wildberries logistics complex, damaging part of the building’s facade. Acting Governor Igor Korolev said no injuries were reported, though several structures in a nearby gardening cooperative also sustained damage.
Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 605 fixed-wing Ukrainian drones overnight across multiple regions, making it one of the largest reported drone attacks since the conflict began. The ministry also said Russian forces struck two dry-cargo vessels carrying military supplies for Ukraine in the Black Sea, south and east of Odesa.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukrainian forces had carried out long-range strikes against Russian energy infrastructure. In a post on Telegram, he said the operation targeted the Bashneft-Novoil refinery in Russia’s Bashkortostan region and the Slavneft-YANOS refinery in Yaroslavl, both located more than 1,300 kilometres from the front line.
Zelenskyy also claimed Ukrainian forces hit two Russian military patrol boats and vessels that he described as part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” operating in the Black Sea.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s General Staff reported that Russia launched a fresh overnight aerial assault using two Oniks anti-ship missiles, two Kh-31P anti-radiation missiles and 101 attack drones. According to the Ukrainian military, air defence systems, electronic warfare units and other forces intercepted or suppressed 66 drones, while 29 drones and one Oniks missile reached their intended targets.
The exchange of strikes highlights the growing reliance on drones by both sides to target military, energy and logistics infrastructure far beyond the battlefield. Long-range attacks on oil refineries and fuel depots have become an increasingly common feature of the conflict, with both Moscow and Kyiv seeking to disrupt each other’s military capabilities and economic resources.
The claims made by both Russia and Ukraine could not be independently verified.
