Various unofficial Russian sources reported that the Ryazan oil refinery faced another drone attack in the early hours of 26 January, marking the second such incident in two days. Ryazan is situated about 180 km southeast of central Moscow and about 460 km from Ukraine.
According to local residents cited by Russian Telegram channels, unidentified drones targeted the Ryazan Oblast for approximately three hours. The pro-Kremlin Telegram channel VChK-OGPU reported around 00:30 that “a massive drone attack” was underway, with “dozens of drones” reportedly participating in the assault by 00:50.
Ryazan Oblast Governor Pavel Malkov confirmed the drone assault and damage from the attack, but did not specifically mention the oil facility:
“Air defense and electronic warfare systems destroyed unmanned aerial vehicles over Ryazan Oblast territory. According to preliminary information, there are no casualties, material damage is being assessed. All emergency services are working,” he claimed.
The Russian news Telegram channel Astra reported around 1 a.m. that local residents complained about loud noises, with local Telegram channels indicating drones were attempting to attack the oil processing plant. Later, VChK-OGPU reported that fire at the Ryazan oil facility “flared up with renewed force.“
Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed that 15 drones were shot down over Russian territory overnight, with “8 drones over Ryazan Oblast, 6 over Kursk Oblast, and one over Belgorod Oblast.” Such claims imply that all drones were downed, which almost always contradicts observable reality.
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