Drone strike sparks massive blaze at major Russian oil refinery PHOTO/VIDEO

A major fire erupted at one of central Russia’s largest oil refineries after unidentified drones struck the city of Yaroslavl.

Residents reported hearing around seven explosions before witnessing a bright glow and thick smoke rising from the area of the Yaroslavnefteorgsintez refinery. Footage posted on social media captured a large blaze sweeping across the facility. Monitoring groups indicated that the refinery—part of Slavneft and ranked among Russia’s top five oil-processing plants—was likely hit, though Russian authorities have yet to confirm the extent of the damage, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukrainian media.

Ukraine has sharply escalated its campaign against Russia’s energy infrastructure since July, arguing that targeting refineries and fuel production directly weakens the Kremlin’s ability to wage war.

In a separate overnight incident, debris from a downed Ukrainian drone crashed into a residential building in the city of Tver, acting regional governor Vitaly Korolev said.

Six adults and one child were taken to hospital. Residents awakened by the explosion helped neighbors escape as a fire ignited on a lower floor. Apartments from the first through the fourth floors sustained damage, and 22 people— including five children—were evacuated to a temporary shelter at a nearby school.

The strike on Yaroslavl followed less than 24 hours after Ukraine launched its largest and most geographically extensive combined drone attack since the start of the full-scale war.

Ukraine’s intensified strikes, coupled with international sanctions, have placed mounting pressure on Russia’s oil sector, pushing export revenues to their lowest level since the invasion began.

On December 11, Ukraine’s Armed Forces deployed close to 300 drones of various types, along with cruise missiles, hitting targets across western and central Russia—a distance spanning nearly 2,000 kilometres, according to Russian and Ukrainian sources.

As part of Kyiv’s sustained campaign against Russia’s fossil fuel infrastructure, Ukraine concentrated its main effort on five major energy production facilities. All five sites caught fire after being struck. Four Russian military airfields were also targeted.

Roughly one-fifth of the drones flew directly toward Moscow, lingering over the capital for hours and forcing air-defence units into intense overnight operations. Authorities issued a rare public warning advising residents to seek shelter, while all four Moscow airports were shut down. More than 130 flights were canceled, delayed, or diverted, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.

One of the most significant attacks of the night occurred far from the front line: a strike on an offshore oil platform in the Caspian Sea. The Lukoil-operated rig—located approximately 1,500 kilometres from likely Ukrainian launch sites—was hit at least four times by long-range Lyutiy drones, igniting a fire and halting production.

This marked the first known Ukrainian strike in the Caspian region. No injuries were reported, but firefighting operations continued into December 11.

By Vafa Guliyeva