Ukrainian drone strikes hit industrial sites in Yaroslavl and Volgograd regions

Ukrainian drones targeted industrial facilities in Russia’s Yaroslavl and Volgograd regions overnight, killing at least two people and causing fires at fuel and energy infrastructure, Russian regional officials reported on Wednesday, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

In Volgograd region, a synthetic fibre plant in the city of Volzhsky was struck, killing a 60-year-old man, regional governor Andrei Bocharov said. A 55-year-old woman later died from injuries sustained in the attack, while another person was wounded. Bocharov also confirmed fires at “fuel and energy complex facilities” in southern Volgograd, with monitoring group Astra reporting a blaze at the Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka oil refinery—the tenth such attack on the plant since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In Yaroslavl region, drones hit fuel storage sites, governor Mikhail Evraev stated. Emergency services contained the fires, and no casualties were reported, though traffic on the Moscow-bound highway was temporarily halted. Astra noted the targeted area includes the Slavneft-YANOS refinery, a bitumen plant, and a thermal power station. Ukrainian channel Supernova+ claimed two oil storage tanks at the Yaroslavl-3 pumping station were ablaze.

A separate drone strike ignited a fire at Temryuk seaport in Krasnodar region, with no immediate reports of injuries, local authorities said.

Russia’s defence ministry claimed it downed 208 Ukrainian drones over 11 regions, including annexed Crimea and the Sea of Azov, without providing evidence.