Ukrainian Drones Set Ryazan Refinery Ablaze in Fifth Russian Oil Plant Strike in a Week

Ukrainian drones set fire to one of Russia’s largest oil refineries overnight, lighting up the sky over the city of Ryazan in Kyiv’s renewed campaign against Russian fuel plants. The attack, which regional officials said involved more than 200 drones, was the fifth strike on a Russian refinery in a week — the clearest sign yet that a brief pause in the oil campaign is over.

Regional governor Pavel Malkov said falling drone debris started fires at several industrial sites in Ryazan, about 200 kilometres (125 miles) south-east of Moscow, damaged power lines and cut electricity to parts of the city. One person was injured. Footage verified by the independent Russian outlet Astra showed a fire burning at the Ryazan oil refinery, owned by the state energy company Rosneft, although no Russian official has confirmed damage to the refinery itself.

Key Points

• More than 200 Ukrainian drones targeted the Ryazan region overnight into Thursday, November 5, 2026, according to Governor Pavel Malkov.
• Footage verified by Astra showed a fire at the Rosneft-owned Ryazan oil refinery, one of Russia’s largest, with a fire also reported at a Wildberries logistics centre.
• One person was injured, power was cut to parts of the city, and a school’s windows were shattered, cancelling classes; power was later restored and the fires put out.
• It was the fifth Russian refinery struck since October 30, after about two weeks without a reported refinery fire; Yaroslavl was hit two days earlier.
• Russia said it shot down 496 Ukrainian drones overnight and struck a Ukrainian postal hub, a substation and a cargo ship the same day.

What Happened

The attack unfolded overnight into Thursday, November 5, 2026. Malkov said more than 200 Ukrainian drones targeted the region and that falling debris from intercepted drones started the fires and damaged power lines. A fire was also reported at a Wildberries logistics centre of about 173,000 square metres, although officials did not confirm which sites had been hit. Malkov later said power had been restored and the fires extinguished or contained.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said it shot down 496 Ukrainian drones overnight over 13 regions plus Crimea and the Black and Azov seas, a figure not independently verified. Moscow also said it struck a Nova Poshta terminal outside Kharkiv, a 330-kilovolt substation in the Dnipropetrovsk region and a dry cargo ship in the Black Sea. Ukraine did not immediately confirm those strikes; Russian attacks injured six people in Kharkiv and killed four civilians in Donetsk.

Background and Context

Ukraine’s campaign against Russian oil refineries aims to cut the fuel that powers Russia’s military and squeeze the oil revenue funding the war, and it has repeatedly forced refineries offline and driven up petrol prices. The campaign paused for about two weeks in late October, following reports of pressure from Washington, before resuming with a strike on the Novokuibyshevsk refinery on October 30 that set at least 11 fires.

The Ryazan plant matters for its size and location: one of Russia’s largest refineries, only about 200 kilometres from Moscow. Russia has meanwhile intensified attacks on Ukraine’s power grid, causing rolling blackouts in Kyiv since mid-October, with heating held back until temperatures stay at minus 5 degrees Celsius for five straight days.

Ryazan Refinery Fire Marks Fifth Strike in a Week

Five refinery strikes in a week, after a fortnight of quiet, is a sustained campaign, not a one-off raid, and it comes as both sides prepare for winter, when energy infrastructure becomes a weapon in itself. For Ukraine, it is one of the few ways to impose costs on Russia far from the front line; for Russia, a plant 200 kilometres from Moscow is no longer safe.

The strikes are already visible at Russian petrol stations, where shortages have followed refinery attacks. Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova noted shortages were reported “as people rush to gas stations to fill up their cars after the news about attacks on oil refineries”. The strikes resumed just as the United States pressed for a negotiated settlement, and the October 30 strike on the Novokuibyshevsk refinery ended the pause in the oil campaign.

Reactions and Quotes

Governor Malkov confirmed the scale of the attack, saying more than 200 Ukrainian drones had targeted the region overnight, and later reported power restored and the fires out. He did not name the sites hit, and no Russian official has confirmed damage to the refinery.

Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova, reporting from Moscow, said: “It’s evident that Ukraine has intensified its strikes on Russian oil refineries” after a brief pause in late October. She noted the Yaroslavl refinery had been attacked just two days earlier.

From Kyiv, Al Jazeera’s Audrey McAlpine described the cost of Russia’s parallel campaign against Ukraine’s power grid: “Some people here have not had things like electricity and, more importantly, water for days now.” Moscow says the logistics sites it targets serve the Ukrainian military.

Why It Matters

The Ryazan strike confirms Ukraine’s refinery campaign is back in full force after its late-October pause, shows Kyiv can still reach deep into Russia despite Moscow’s claim of shooting down nearly 500 drones in one night, and comes as both sides settle in for a winter war of energy infrastructure — Ukraine hitting Russian fuel, Russia hitting Ukrainian heat and power. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he hopes the Democratic midterm wins will bring more US aid for Ukraine .

What Happens Next

The immediate question is how much damage the refinery suffered. Russian officials have not confirmed any damage, but satellite imagery and fuel-market data in the coming days should give a clearer picture; if the plant is offline for weeks, fuel supplies around Moscow could be hit.

Five strikes in a week suggests the campaign will continue. US, Russian and Ukrainian talks are due to resume in Abu Dhabi on November 10–11, but the fires in Ryazan and the blackouts in Kyiv show the war is escalating on the energy front even as negotiators talk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Ryazan refinery?

In the city of Ryazan, about 200 kilometres (125 miles) south-east of Moscow. It is owned by the state energy company Rosneft and is one of Russia’s largest refineries.

How many drones attacked Ryazan?

Governor Pavel Malkov said more than 200 Ukrainian drones targeted the region overnight into November 5, 2026. Russia said it shot down 496 drones overnight, a figure not independently verified.

Was anyone hurt?

One person was injured, according to Governor Malkov. Debris damaged power lines, cut electricity to parts of the city and shattered windows at a school, where classes were cancelled.

How many refineries have been hit in the past week?

Ryazan was the fifth since October 30, after about two weeks without a reported refinery fire. Yaroslavl was hit two days earlier.

What did Russia hit in return?

Moscow said it struck a Nova Poshta postal terminal outside Kharkiv, a 330-kilovolt substation in Dnipropetrovsk and a dry cargo ship in the Black Sea. Six were injured in Kharkiv and four civilians killed in Donetsk; Ukraine did not immediately confirm the strikes.