Ukraine Launches Massive Drone Attack on Russian Oil Refinery and Military Infrastructure

January 24, 2025

12:51 PM

Reading time: 4 minutes


In the early hours of January 24, Ukraine carried out its largest drone attack of the year, targeting over a dozen regions across Russia, including Moscow. One of the most significant strikes hit an oil refinery in Ryazan, operated by Rosneft, which was engulfed in flames following the assault. Eyewitness videos showed massive fireballs and panic as the fire spread across the industrial site. Nearby, fires were also reported near the Novo-Ryazan Thermal Power Plant.

Russian authorities reported the interception of over 120 Ukrainian drones across Russian territory, but the full extent of the damage is still being assessed. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the Ryazan attacks, but Ukrainian forces confirmed the hits on both the oil refinery and an oil pumping station in the region.

In addition to the oil refinery, the Kremniy El microelectronics plant in Bryansk, a critical supplier for Russia’s military systems, was targeted. The plant manufactures chips and components used in advanced Russian missile systems, including the Topol-M and Bulava missile complexes, S-300 and S-400 surface-to-air missiles, and avionics for combat aircraft. Ukrainian officials confirmed that these strikes had disrupted vital elements of Russia's military infrastructure.

While Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that several drones were intercepted over the Russian capital, including six over Moscow itself, the attacks caused notable disruptions. Air travel in and out of Moscow’s major airports—Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky—was temporarily suspended due to the threat from the drones. Similar restrictions were placed on several regional airports, including those in Kazan, Nizhnekamsk, and Samara, where drones were also intercepted.

The drone strikes came in the wake of a series of Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian territory. In Kyiv, Russian bombings killed three civilians and caused extensive damage to residential areas, including the towns of Fastiv and Brovary near the capital. Russia’s ongoing use of drones and missiles to target civilian infrastructure in Ukraine continues to raise international condemnation, with many organizations labeling these attacks as war crimes.

Ukraine has made it clear that it will continue its systematic strikes on Russian military infrastructure until Russia ends its armed aggression against Ukraine. The latest drone assault underscores the ongoing and intensifying conflict, with both sides escalating their tactics in a bid to weaken the other’s military and economic capabilities.

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