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Drones Downed Southeast Of Moscow, Regional Governor Says Amid Reports Of Strike On Oil Refinery

By RFE/RL's Russian Service January 24, 2025

The governor of Russia's Ryazan region southeast of Moscow said air defenses had downed an unspecified number of drones but indicated that the city of Ryazan was struck amid local reports that an oil refinery there was hit.

Governor Pavel Malkov reported the destruction of drones over the region early on January 24 and said no one was injured.

Malkov said later on Telegram that "the liquidation of the consequences of the air attack on Ryazan is ongoing. All operational services are working."

Malkov did not provide further details, but Russian media and Telegram channels reported explosions over Ryazan. Some reports cited local residents as saying the explosions occurred at a local oil refinery.

A video posted on Telegram showed a massive fireball and people screaming before running away as fire engulfs an industrial site. It was not possible for RFE/RL to verify the video.

Explosions in the Ryazan region were also reported by Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of Ukraine.

"There is an oil depot there. And also an oil refinery -- one of the key ones in the Russian oil industry, which, although under sanctions is still operating," Kovalenko said.

According to Kovalenko, the plant produces fuel for military equipment, aviation kerosene, and diesel fuel.

The head of the Central Military District did not say that Ukraine was responsible, and the military command did not comment.

Ukraine has been using drones to attack Russian refineries since the beginning of 2024 following numerous attacks by Russia on Ukrainian power plants. The Ukrainian attacks primarily hit oil processing units, causing failures, but as early as April 2024, Russia was able to partially restore the capacity of key oil refineries.

Russian law enforcement agencies said in March 2024 that a fire broke out at the oil refinery in Ryazan, saying it was believed to be the result of a drone attack.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin also reported attempted strikes by Ukrainian drones on January 24. He said that air defense units had intercepted separate attacks headed to the capital.

Sobyanin said on Telegram that air defense units southeast of the capital had repelled one group of enemy drones.

"At the site where fragments fell no damage or casualties have occurred," Sobyanin said on Telegram without specifying exactly where or how many drones were involved. "Specialist emergency crews are at the site."

Sobyanin said two drones also headed for Moscow had been downed in Podolsk district, south of the capital. He then reported a single drone downed in Troitsky district southwest of the capital and said another drone was downed northeast of Moscow.

Specialist emergency crews were dispatched to the sites, Sobyanin said.

Russian news agencies quoted Russia's aviation agency as saying two Moscow airports, Vnukovo and Domodedovo, had suspended all flights.

Russia's Defense Ministry said earlier that it had destroyed 49 Ukrainian drones between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Moscow time on January 23. Most of them flew over the Kursk region near the Ukrainian border.

The ministry said 37 drones had been destroyed in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces hold swaths of land.

The ministry statement said drones had also been destroyed over the border regions of Bryansk and Belgorod and the Russian-annexed Crimea Peninsula.

With reporting by Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-drone- strike-oil-refinery-ryazan-malkov/33287110.html

Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.