Ukrainian drones overnight into Saturday, December 6, struck the Rosneft oil refinery in Ryazan again—marking the third attack this month and the ninth since the start of the year—according to Ukrainian monitoring channels and the outlet Astra. This plant accounts for 5 percent of Russia’s total refining capacity. Regional governor Pavel Malkov said drone “debris” fell on the facility’s grounds. He reported no casualties and said damage is being assessed.
According to the Exilenova+ channel, the Ryazan refinery, Rosneft’s largest, saw the Izomalk-2-LIN-800 low-temperature isomerization unit knocked out. The unit converts straight-run gasoline fractions into a high-octane gasoline component.
The Supernova+ channel said a hydrotreating and catalytic cracking unit-described as a key facility-was damaged. If the damage is severe, it could force the plant to shut down.
With a nameplate capacity of 17.1 million tons of oil a year, the Ryazan refinery is among the largest in Russia. It produces gasoline as well as diesel and jet fuel. The plant also turns out an average of 840,000 tons of aviation kerosene annually and helps supply Russia’s Aerospace Forces. The previous strike hit on the night of November 20, when part of the facility caught fire. Reuters reported the Ryazan refinery had been idle since mid-last month.
Earlier, on November 15, Ukrainian drones hit the main processing unit that provides nearly half the plant’s total capacity, and on October 24, after another drone attack, another unit-accounting for more than a quarter of the refinery’s capacity—was shut down.
Beyond the refinery, a residential high-rise in Ryazan was damaged overnight on December 6. Governor Malkov said a rooftop fire was quickly extinguished. Witnesses reported windows blown out on upper floors and debris damaging several cars near the building.
Ukrainian forces hit two key industrial sites under Russian control overnight Saturday, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said.
Ukrainian forces also targeted the Alchevsk Iron and Steel Works in Russian-occupied Luhansk region, where shell casings are currently being produced for Russian troops, according to the General Staff. A strike and subsequent fire were recorded there, and the scale of damage is still being clarified, the statement added.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defenses “intercepted” 29 Ukrainian drones over Ryazan region overnight and into the morning.
