On the night of September 5–6, 2026, Ukrainian drones struck targets in Russia's Ryazan and Rostov regions. According to the Exilenova+ monitoring channel, which RBC-Ukraine uses to publish its information, a fire broke out on the grounds of the Ryazan Oil Refinery after the attack, while air defense systems were activated in Rostov-on-Don. Local residents in both regions reported hearing explosions. This incident is not the first attack on this strategic facility in recent months.

Nighttime Strike: Ryazan Refinery and Rostov

According to monitoring channels, the strikes hit two regions simultaneously. In Ryazan Oblast, the main target was the Ryazan Oil Refinery — a fire was recorded on its premises, visible in the published footage. In Rostov Oblast, according to the same data, air defense systems were operating, indicating an attempt to intercept drones over the city. Residents of both regions complained about the sounds of explosions during the night hours.

Official Version: Fire Caused by Debris, No Casualties

The Governor of Ryazan Oblast, Malykov, commented on the incident, stating that "debris caused a fire at one of the enterprises; preliminarily, there are no casualties." According to him, emergency services are working at the scene. Thus, the official Russian version describes the event as a secondary fire caused by fallen debris, rather than a direct hit on the plant's technological facilities, and emphasizes the absence of casualties — although the wording "preliminarily" leaves room for clarification.

Strategic Importance of the Facility

The Ryazan Oil Refinery is one of the largest oil refineries in Russia. Its annual capacity is approximately 17 million tons of crude oil. The plant produces automotive gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation kerosene, and other petroleum products, including, as Ukrainian sources note, products supplied for the needs of the Russian army. This is precisely what makes the plant a regular target for strikes by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

A Repeated Target: Context of the July Strikes

This is not the first such incident. At the end of July 2026, the Armed Forces also struck the Ryazan Oil Refinery: at that time, both the refinery and a Wildberries marketplace warehouse caught fire in Ryazan, and the regional governor confirmed fires on industrial territories. According to reports, the warehouse roof collapsed. The repetition of the attack nearly two months later indicates the systematic nature of the strikes on the region's oil refining infrastructure.

Contradictory Data

There are notable discrepancies between the versions presented by the two sides. Monitoring channels and Ukrainian media describe the event as the result of a direct drone attack on the refinery's territory, followed by a fire. The official comment from the Governor of Ryazan, by contrast, characterizes the fire as a consequence of falling debris and asserts that there are no casualties. Moreover, some sources (including reviews of the July events) mix in a single narrative the plant's shutdown after the July strike and the new September fire, making it difficult to separate the consequences of each incident in open data. The question of the scale of the damage and whether the technological lines were affected remains open pending official clarification.