Drones attacked one of Russia’s largest oil refineries in Ryazan
On the night of 15 May, drones struck the Ryazan Oil Refinery – one of Russia’s largest oil refineries.
This was reported by Censor.NET, citing Russian Telegram channels.
The first explosions were heard around 2 am. Local residents reported a series of powerful explosions, after which a massive fire broke out in the area around the plant. Thick smoke and intense flames were observed above the industrial facility.
According to Pavel Malkov, Governor of the Ryazan Region, the attack damaged the plant’s premises and several residential buildings. There are preliminary reports of casualties.
Strikes on regions of the Russian Federation
Explosions were also heard last night in Bryansk, Taganrog and Yeysk, where smoke was observed near a military airfield. Due to the threat of attacks, temporary restrictions were imposed on operations at a number of Russian airports.
Ryazan Oil Refinery: what is known?
The Ryazan Oil Refinery (Ryazan Oil Refining Company, RF) is one of Russia’s largest oil refineries, owned by "Rosneft" and of strategic importance for fuel supplies, particularly for the Moscow region and military logistics.
Design capacity: approximately 17 million tonnes of crude oil per year.
It produces:
- petrol,
- diesel,
- aviation fuel,
- fuel oil,
- other petroleum products.
It is of vital importance for supplying the Russian Armed Forces with aviation fuel.
The Ryazan Oil Refinery was repeatedly targeted in 2024–2026.
In 2025, it halted or reduced operations several times following damage.
According to open-source estimates, this is one of the Russian refineries most systematically targeted.
Damage to the Ryazan Oil Refinery:
- reduces fuel production,
- complicates military logistics,
- creates a shortage in the Russian domestic market,
- increases Russia’s expenditure on infrastructure restoration.
In fact, this is one of the most significant strikes against the Russian energy sector, as the Ryazan refinery is among the country’s key fuel system facilities.
