Ukrainian drones hit Russian airfield in Rostov and spark fire at Yaroslavl refinery

Ukrainian monitoring channel Exilenova+ released video that it said showed drones striking a military airfield in Russia's Rostov Oblast on the night of Sept. 16, followed by a second clip of an additional explosion at the site. Rostov Oblast Governor Yuri Slyusar posted on Telegram that drones were destroyed in the Millerovsky and Kamensky districts and that Russian forces repelled the aerial attack, adding that no casualties or ground damage had been reported at the time.

The region hosts several Russian military aviation facilities and has been the target of previous Ukrainian strikes, including an August attack on the Millerovo airfield that damaged radar and aviation infrastructure, according to Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces.

In a separate incident, Telegram channels circulated footage that they said showed drones entering the industrial zone of the Yaroslavl oil refinery, with the video later depicting a blaze after explosions. Ukrainian drones have previously targeted refineries in the area.

The Kyiv Independent was unable to independently confirm the extent of damage at either location, and Ukraine's military has not issued a comment on the reported attacks. The strikes are part of a broader Ukrainian effort to target Russian airfields, defense installations and oil infrastructure.