Drones Struck Oil Refineries In Yaroslavl And Bashkortostan: Details Of The Operation Revealed
- 6.08.2026, 13:22
Information has been released by the President of Ukraine and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
On the night of August 6, 2026, the Russian Yaroslavl came under a massive attack by Ukrainian drones. According to eyewitnesses and monitoring channels, the main target of the strike was a local oil refinery.
A huge plume of black smoke rises above the refinery following the attack. This was reported by the monitoring Telegram channel Exilenova+.
Details of the attack
Shortly after midnight, a “drone threat” alert was officially declared in the region, and air raid sirens sounded in the city. Regional Governor Mikhail Evraev stated that “for security reasons,” traffic was blocked on the road leading out of Yaroslavl toward Moscow at the intersection of Moskovsky Prospekt and the Southwestern Ring Road.
According to local residents, several loud explosions rocked the city during the night, after which at least two large plumes of thick smoke rose above the industrial zone.
Explosions have been reported near the industrial site of the Yaroslavnefteorgsintez oil refinery—one of the largest oil refineries in central Russia.
Eyewitnesses have posted videos of air defense systems in action. Reports have also appeared on social media about falling debris and localized fires in residential areas following the downing of drones.
NASA’s FIRMS online mapping platform, which uses satellite data to display fire hotspots and heat anomalies around the world in real time, confirms several fire hotspots on the refinery’s grounds.
As confirmed by OSINT investigators, one of the fires occurred at the Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery. It ranks among the top five largest Russian refineries. Prior to this, the plant had been repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian strikes.
In 2026, drones attacked it six times. The facility had previously suspended operations several times due to damage sustained.
The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense stated that on the night of August 6, 2026, special forces from the Department of Active Operations
The Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense stated that on the night of August 6, 2026, special forces from the GUR’s Department of Active Operations, as part of a joint deepstrike, struck yet another oil refinery belonging to the aggressor state in the city of Yaroslavl. The attack on the refinery resulted in a massive fire.
Comments by Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that “long-range sanctions” have once again succeeded in curbing Russia’s oil profits, which it uses to finance the war and the killings of Ukrainians. The head of state stated that the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the aggressor’s targets at a distance of more than 1,300 km from the front line.
In Bashkortostan, the “Bashneft-Novoyl” oil refinery was hit. In the Yaroslavl region—nearly 700 kilometers from the Ukrainian border—the “Slavneft-Yanos” oil refinery was struck.
Zelenskyy also reported that countermeasures against Russian aggression in the Black Sea were successful. Specifically, two military patrol boats and vessels of the shadow fleet were struck.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine clarified that two oil refineries and the enemy’s strike UAV control systems were struck. Units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces dealt a blow to a number of important enemy targets. On the night of August 6, an oil refinery in Yaroslavl was attacked. A direct hit on the facility was recorded, followed by a fire on the premises; three separate fire outbreaks have been confirmed. The extent of the damage is being assessed.
On August 5, the “Bashneft-Novoyl” oil refinery in Ufa (Republic of Bashkortostan, Russian Federation) was struck. A strike on the facility was recorded, followed by a fire on the plant’s grounds. According to preliminary information, a combined process unit and the L-35-11/1000 catalytic reforming unit were struck.
In addition, it has been confirmed that two ground-based relay stations used to control Geran/Gerbera-type strike UAVs were struck in the areas of Zhelezny Port in the Kherson region and Olenevka (Autonomous Republic of Crimea). These were used by the enemy to ensure continuous control of the unmanned aerial vehicles.
What is known about the company
PJSC "Slavneft-Yaroslavnefteorgsintez" is one of the largest and most technologically advanced oil refineries in Russia. Located in Yaroslavl, it is the largest oil refinery in the Central Federal District.
The refinery is owned by Slavneft, which is jointly controlled by the state-oligarchic giants Rosneft and Gazprom Neft.
Its refining capacity is 15 million metric tons of crude oil per year, which accounts for about 5% of Russia’s total crude oil refining volume. Main product range: motor gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, bitumen, fuel oil, petroleum coke, and liquefied petroleum gas.
Impact on Putin’s Army and the Military-Industrial Complex
The Yaroslavl Oil Refinery plays a strategic role in supplying the Russian Federation’s military machine due to its advantageous geographic location and the specific nature of its products: Thanks to its direct connection to Transnefteproduct’s main product pipelines and an extensive railway network, the refinery supplies fuel to military units, logistics hubs, and armored formations stationed in the central and western parts of the Russian Federation, as well as to occupation forces in Ukraine.
The Yaroslavl Refinery remains one of the leading producers of jet fuel in the European part of Russia. This fuel is delivered to key military airfields in the Central and Western regions, from which strategic bombers, fighter jets, and frontline aircraft take off.