Russia says Ukraine launched most massive attack on Yaroslavl region since start of conflict

Ukraine launched its most massive drone attack on Russia’s Yaroslavl region since the start of the conflict, regional Governor Mikhail Yevrayev said on Thursday.

In a statement on the Russian social media platform Max, Yevrayev said air defense and electronic warfare units repelled the large-scale attack.

"Falling drone debris caused fires at three private homes, shattered windows in several apartment buildings and damaged vehicles," he said, adding that information on possible casualties was still being clarified.

Ukrainian media reported that the Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery in Yaroslavl caught fire following the overnight drone attack.

In the Tver region, drone debris fell on a Wildberries logistics complex, damaging its facade, acting Governor Igor Korolev said in a separate statement.

According to him, no injuries were reported, while several outbuildings at a gardening cooperative in the Kalinin district were also damaged.

In a separate statement, the Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed 605 fixed-wing Ukrainian drones overnight across multiple regions.

The ministry added that its forces also struck two dry-cargo vessels carrying Ukraine's military cargo south and east of Odesa in the Black Sea on Wednesday evening.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the strikes, saying on Telegram that Ukrainian forces targeted oil facilities more than 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from the front line.

He said the Bashneft-Novoil refinery in Russia’s Bashkortostan region and the Slavneft-YANOS refinery in the Yaroslavl region were hit.

Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces also struck two military patrol boats and vessels he described as part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” in the Black Sea.

Ukraine’s General Staff, meanwhile, said Russia launched two Oniks anti-ship missiles, two Kh-31P anti-radiation missiles and 101 attack drones at Ukraine overnight.

Air defenses, electronic warfare units and other forces downed or suppressed 66 Russian drones while 29 attack drones and one Oniks missile reached their targets, it added.

The claims by both sides could not be independently verified.