Ukrainian forces struck the Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery in Yaroslavl, Russia, on the night of July 5-6, triggering explosions and fires at one of the country’s most critical fuel processing facilities. The refinery sits roughly 250 kilometers northeast of Moscow, well within the range of Ukraine’s expanding drone capabilities, and its repeated targeting is compounding fuel shortages across Russia.
A refinery under siege
The Slavneft-YANOS facility processes approximately 15 million metric tons of crude oil annually, roughly 300,000 barrels per day. That makes it one of Russia’s five largest refineries by capacity.
This wasn’t a one-off. Ukrainian forces hit the same refinery on June 28, May 22, and at least once earlier in May 2026. Four strikes in roughly six weeks suggests this is a deliberate, sustained campaign rather than an opportunistic attack.
Yaroslavl’s regional governor, Mikhail Yevrayev, acknowledged the drone activity and reported temporary road closures in the surrounding area.
