Drone Attacks Ignite Fires at Russian Energy Facilities in Ryazan and Astrakhan

Overnight drone attacks have ignited significant fires at major Russian energy facilities in Ryazan and Astrakhan, resulting in casualties and operational disruptions.

In Ryazan, a drone barrage caused a large fire at the Rosneft-operated Ryazan Oil Refinery, one of Russia's largest fuel production facilities. Governor Pavel Malkov reported that three people were killed and a dozen others, including children, were injured. He stated that drones struck several apartment buildings and an industrial site. Videos shared online showed flames and thick smoke rising from the refinery area.

The Ryazan refinery processes approximately 17 million tons of crude oil annually and is a key supplier of fuel to regions around Moscow. The attack also led to reports of dark, oily rain falling on the city.

In the Astrakhan region, debris from an intercepted drone caused a fire at Gazprom's gas processing plant. Governor Igor Babushkin confirmed that all enemy aircraft were either shot down or suppressed by electronic warfare systems, but falling debris ignited a fire at the plant. No injuries were reported, and residents were not in danger.

The Astrakhan plant, which processes natural gas from the Astrakhan gas condensate field, suspended operations, including a unit capable of processing 3 million tons of stable condensate annually. Restoring motor fuel output could take from several weeks to several months.

These incidents are part of a series of drone attacks targeting Russian energy infrastructure, following previous strikes on facilities in Tuapse and Perm.