Ukraine Unleashes Drone Raid on Russia, Hitting Oil Sites, Defense Plant as Moscow Claims 376 UAVs
Russian officials said Ukrainian drones struck oil infrastructure and defense-related sites across southern Russia overnight, while Moscow claimed to have intercepted 376 drones. The attacks sparked fires, disrupted airport operations and targeted facilities linked to Russia's energy exports and mil
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Russian officials said Ukrainian drones struck multiple strategic targets overnight, including the Ilsky oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai, an oil terminal, an oil depot and a major defense plant in Rostov Oblast.
Rostov Oblast
Residents of Taganrog reported explosions throughout the night, with eyewitnesses saying a fire broke out in the city’s port area.
Initial reports suggested the blaze engulfed the Kurgannaftoprodukt oil terminal (formerly Yugtranzitservis), which unloads and loads petroleum products onto sea-going vessels.
Petro Andryushchenko, head of the Center for the Study of Occupation, also reported a fire near the V.M. Petlyakov Taganrog Aviation College, which trains specialists for Russia’s aviation and engineering industries.
At 7:27 a.m., Rostov Oblast Governor Yury Slyusar confirmed that the region was under a large-scale drone attack.
“During the repelling of the attack, about three and a half dozen unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were destroyed in Taganrog and Azov, as well as the Azov and Matveyevo-Kurgan districts. Unfortunately, there were consequences on the ground,” he wrote on Telegram.
According to Slyusar, a drone strike set an administrative building ablaze in the village of Kagalnik, while two oil product storage facilities caught fire in Azov. He said there were no casualties.
Although Slyusar did not identify the affected facilities, the Ukrainian monitoring channel Exilenova+ said geolocation analysis suggested the targets included the Azov oil depot and either the Azov Optical-Mechanical Plant or the Donterminal oil depot.
Washington told the UN Security Council that Russia must make a deal, stop the killing and end the war.
The Azov Optical-Mechanical Plant manufactures optical-electronic, radar and precision-guidance systems used in Russian aircraft, armored vehicles, warships and missiles.
It is part of Russia’s Tactical Missiles Corporation and was previously targeted by Ukrainian drones in July 2025.
Slyusar also said falling drone debris damaged a private home in Taganrog.
“Emergency crews are extinguishing a fire at the seaport. According to preliminary information, there are no casualties,” he said.
Russian state news agency TASS reported that authorities had begun evacuating residents from the affected area in the Taganrog.
Drone attacks also disrupted air traffic in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defenses began intercepting drones shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday. By 7:48 a.m. Friday, he said 16 drones heading toward the capital had been shot down.
Operations at Domodedovo Airport were temporarily suspended, while Russian Telegram channels reported similar restrictions at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg.
Ilsky oil refinery
The Ilsky oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai also came under attack, according to Exilenova+.
Regional authorities later confirmed the strike, saying falling drone debris had sparked a fire at the facility, although the governor had not commented as of publication.
Officials also reported drone debris falling on another enterprise and a private home in the nearby village of Severskaya.
The Ilsky refinery, which primarily produces petroleum products for export, has reportedly been attacked 5 times this year and at least 17 times since Russia’s full-scale invasion, according to independent Russian outlet Astra. Ukraine also targeted the refinery on June 2.
The refinery processes up to 6.6 million metric tons of crude oil annually, producing gasoline, diesel fuel and fuel oil, making it one of southern Russia’s key energy facilities.
The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed air defenses intercepted 376 Ukrainian drones overnight across multiple regions, including Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Rostov, Tver and Moscow Oblasts, Krasnodar Krai and occupied Crimea.
Ukraine has not officially commented on the reported strikes at the time of publication.
Julia is a Deputy Head of News and correspondent for Kyiv Post who has previously worked as a parliamentary editor, journalist, and news editor. She has specialized in covering the work of the Ukrainian parliament, government, and law enforcement agencies.