A large Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Ryazan region has triggered a fire at the Ryazan oil refinery, one of the country’s most important fuel plants, regional officials said on Thursday. The strike is the first Ukrainian attack on Russian energy infrastructure since US President Donald Trump announced that Moscow and Kyiv had agreed to an energy ceasefire — an arrangement neither side has officially confirmed.
Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov said emergency crews were working at the refinery and that the scale of the damage was still being assessed. He also reported that a warehouse at a separate location had been hit. Earlier in the day, the governor said schools and kindergartens in two districts had cancelled classes because of what he described as mass drone attacks.
FAKTA: Key Facts
- Where: Ryazan region, Russia — about 185 km southeast of Moscow.
- What: Fire at the Rosneft-owned Ryazan oil refinery after a Ukrainian drone attack; a second warehouse damaged elsewhere.
- Significance: First reported Ukrainian strike on a Russian energy facility since Trump announced a Russia–Ukraine energy ceasefire.
- Scale: The refinery accounts for nearly 5% of Russia’s total oil refining capacity and supplies fuel to Moscow.
- Official word: Governor Pavel Malkov confirmed the fire via Telegram; damage still being assessed.
- Background: The plant has been struck by drones several times in recent months, with a previous attack reportedly halting operations.
Ceasefire Announcement Under Strain
Trump said on Sunday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop targeting each other’s energy facilities. However, the truce was never confirmed by Moscow or Kyiv, and Thursday’s fire has deepened doubts over whether the arrangement holds any weight.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the Financial Times in an interview published Thursday that Ukraine had paused its strikes on Russian energy facilities for three days in response to a request from the United States. He said Ukraine would resume the attacks because Russia had continued striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the meantime.
Ryazan Oil Refinery a Repeated Target
The Ryazan oil refinery is operated by Russian energy giant Rosneft and ranks among Russia’s largest crude-processing plants. It produces fuel for Moscow and the surrounding central regions. Ukrainian forces have hit the facility multiple times over the past year as part of a broader campaign against the infrastructure funding Russia’s war effort.
Energy facilities on both sides have become regular targets. While Ukraine has intensified its drone campaign against Russian refineries, depots and fuel terminals, Russia has kept up missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s power plants and gas infrastructure as winter approaches. The exchange has raised concerns about fuel supplies and heating in both countries.
Neither Moscow nor Kyiv has issued a full statement on the status of the proposed energy ceasefire following Thursday’s attack. Further developments were expected as damage assessments continued. Follow Watan News International’s English coverage for continuing updates on international affairs.
