Edition · Tue 03 Nov 2026
Geo-politics Desk
856 Drones in One Night: Ukraine Hits a Russian Refinery as Moscow Pounds the Power Grid
Ukrainian drones damaged an oil refinery in Yaroslavl as Russia reported downing 856 drones overnight, while reciprocal Russian strikes cut power to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian households.
By Rachel · Edited by Chanan Zevin - Chief Editor and Head of Desks
Published
Emergency crews battle blaze at Yaroslavl refinery
An oil refinery in the Russian city of Yaroslavl sustained damage and two workers were injured during a Ukrainian drone attack on Tuesday, November 3, according to regional governor Mikhail Evrayev, while Russia's Defence Ministry reported that air defence units intercepted 856 drones overnight across the country.
Emergency crews battle blaze at Yaroslavl refinery
Evrayev said emergency responders worked to extinguish a fire that broke out at the plant after Russian air defence and electronic warfare units engaged 124 drones targeting the site. Both injured employees suffered shrapnel wounds and were taken to a hospital, the governor stated, adding that falling debris shattered windows in nearby residential buildings and damaged parked cars before regional authorities restored restricted road traffic.
Emergency crews battle blaze at Yaroslavl refinery
The overnight strikes matter because the escalating campaign against deep-rear refining facilities and reciprocal strikes on electrical grids directly threaten civilian heating and regional transport networks as winter approaches, turning essential utilities into frontline targets for both sides.
Air defences engage hundreds of drones near Moscow
The 856 drones intercepted overnight represented a broad aerial offensive spanning several Russian administrative areas, according to Russia's Defence Ministry. The ministry reported that its defensive forces downed incoming drones over the regions of Bryansk, Belgorod, Kaluga, Tula, Yaroslavl and the Moscow region, as well as over Crimea and the Black Sea.
Air defences engage hundreds of drones near Moscow
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that 493 drones were detected heading towards the capital region between Monday evening and Tuesday morning. According to Sobyanin, air defence units intercepted the majority of those incoming aircraft before they could reach Moscow.
Prior strikes crippled primary refining capacity
The damaged plant, known as Slavneft-YANOS, sits roughly 250 kilometres northeast of Moscow and is operated by Slavneft, an enterprise jointly controlled by Russian energy producers Rosneft and Gazprom Neft, Moneycontrol reported. The facility maintains an annual crude-processing capacity of approximately 15 million tonnes, or 300,000 barrels per day, and refines petrol, diesel, aviation fuel and fuel oil.
Prior strikes crippled primary refining capacity
Tuesday's attack marked the third strike against the plant in recent months. On September 17, the refinery halted crude processing after a Ukrainian drone strike damaged its AVT-3 primary refining unit, citing four industry sources. That unit accounted for approximately 40% of the refinery's total processing capacity, while a second primary unit, AVT-4, had already begun repairs after suffering damage in an August 28 drone attack.
Prior strikes crippled primary refining capacity
Ukraine's Security Service acknowledged that it took part in the September 17 strike alongside other national defence units. The agency previously stated that Russian energy and fuel facilities that support military operations remain active targets.
Russian salvos knock out regional power grids
The strike on the Yaroslavl plant coincided with ongoing long-range attacks against industrial and energy networks as the war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, continued across multiple sectors. On November 1, Russian authorities confirmed that a Ukrainian drone strike caused significant damage to an industrial site in the Nizhny Novgorod region, though the regional governor did not identify the facility, Moneycontrol reported.
Russian salvos knock out regional power grids
At the same time, Russian forces struck electrical utilities across Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on November 1 that Russian strikes against electricity infrastructure in four Ukrainian regions cut power to hundreds of thousands of households.