Ryazan refinery hit by drone strike, damaging power lines and igniting fires
The Rosneft facility processes 17 million tonnes of crude annually and supplies jet fuel to Russian military aircraft.
By Samantha Reed ·
Explosions shook Ryazan in the early hours of November 5 as drones targeted the region. Residents reported hearing multiple blasts alongside the sound of air defence systems firing. An air raid warning had been issued for the city and surrounding areas at approximately 02:00 local time.
Pavel Malkov, the governor of Ryazan Oblast, confirmed a drone attack on the region later that morning. He stated that power lines were damaged and fires started at industrial facilities. Video footage posted by the Telegram channel Supernova+ showed flames engulfing the Ryazan Oil Refinery, also known as the Ryazan Oil Refining Company.
An open-source intelligence analyst associated with the Astra channel verified that the refinery was burning. The facility is owned by Rosneft, a major Russian oil company. It is located in the Southern Industrial Hub and has an annual crude oil processing capacity of between 17 and 18 million tonnes.
The refinery produces petrol, diesel, aviation kerosene, fuel oil, and bitumen. It supplies fuel to Moscow and central Russia. It also provides fuel for the Russian Ministry of Defence, including TS-1 jet fuel used by military aircraft. In 2014, the plant announced it had produced experimental batches of petrol to meet specific requirements for Russian Armed Forces equipment.
Reports also indicated a possible fire at a Wildberries logistics centre in Ryazan. Wildberries is Russia's largest online retailer. The report from the source account remained tentative. A logistics centre for the same retailer was targeted during a previous drone attack on the city on July 29.
This is not the first time the refinery has been struck. Ukrainian defence forces hit the plant during the night of September 5 to 6. That strike also targeted the Rostov-on-Don air base and three Russian air defence facilities. An earlier attack occurred during the night of May 14 to 15, when Ukrainian Special Operations Forces and Unmanned Systems Forces conducted a joint operation.
