Drone assault ignites refinery blaze in Ryazan, Russia
A fire erupted at a refinery and power plant in Ryazan, Russia, following a drone attack. The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed the downing of 49 drones in several regions. Local authorities confirmed the attack but did not provide details about the specific targets.
During the night of January 23 to 24, a fire ignited at an oil refinery and the nearby Novo-Ryazanskaya power plant in Ryazan. According to the Ukrainian service UNN, the incident was triggered by a drone attack. The Russian Ministry of Defence announced the destruction of 49 unmanned aerial vehicles in various areas across the country.
Photos and videos from the scene surfaced on Russian Telegram channels, showing the refinery ablaze. The Ryazan Oil Refinery Company (RNPK) is part of Rosneft and boasts a production capacity of approximately 18.8 million metric tonnes of oil per year. The refinery also supplies motor gasoline, diesel fuel, as well as aviation and marine fuels.
Regional authorities, including Governor Pavel Malkov, confirmed the attack but did not specify whether the refinery was the primary target.
The Russian Telegram channel ASTRA shared photos and videos from Ryazan with the caption: "We no longer have a factory in Ryazan."
Previously, a court in Moscow ordered the concealment of all maps and photos of the facility due to concerns over drone attacks. The refinery in Ryazan is part of the Rosneft conglomerate. Consequently, operations at airports in Moscow were halted as a result of the attack.
