Media: Ukrainian drone attack suspected near major Russian oil facility PHOTO / VIDEO

According to analysis by ASTRA, a Ukrainian drone strike carried out overnight on May 22 likely targeted the Novo-Yaroslavl oil refinery, one of Russia’s largest refining facilities.

Footage released by the Telegram channel Exilenova+ captured a bright flash in the sky. An ASTRA OSINT analyst geolocated the video to Frunze Avenue in the city of Yaroslavl and assessed that the probable target was the Novo-Yaroslavl Oil Refinery operated by Slavneft-YANOS PJSC, situated more than seven kilometers from the filming location. Despite these findings, there has been no official confirmation that any industrial facility in the region was hit.

Regional authorities provided a limited account of the incident. Yaroslavl Region Governor Mikhail Evraev stated that the unmanned aerial vehicle attack had been repelled. He added that temporary road restrictions imposed during the incident had since been lifted and reported that there were no casualties or material damage.

The Novo-Yaroslavl refinery is a strategically significant energy asset, processing approximately 15 million tons of crude oil annually and ranking among the five largest refineries in Russia. It is owned by Slavneft Oil and Gas Company PJSC, whose shares are overwhelmingly controlled—99.7%—by two major Russian energy corporations, Rosneft and Gazprom.

This is not the first time the facility has come under attack. Ukrainian drones previously targeted the refinery earlier in May. During a strike on the night of May 8, a fire was reported at the site, underscoring the refinery’s recurring role as a potential target in long-range drone operations.

By Tamilla Hasanova