Russia says it shot down 519 Ukrainian drones as Yaroslavl refinery is hit near Moscow

Russia says it intercepted 519 Ukrainian drones overnight

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said that, during the early hours of Monday, its forces shot down 519 Ukrainian drones over roughly 20 Russian regions as well as annexed Crimea. The ministry added that a refinery around 250 kilometres from Moscow was struck.

The drone offensive coincided with a series of Russian air strikes that killed at least 10 people in the Kyiv region, where Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalists reported hearing dozens of explosions.

Yaroslavl refinery struck; Sevastopol left without electricity

In the overnight attack, Ukraine hit a refinery in Russia’s Yaroslavl region, about 250 kilometres north-east of Moscow, an incident that disrupted the power supply to the port city of Sevastopol, home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

This was not the first time Ukraine has targeted the site, described as one of the largest of its kind in Russia. In May, the refinery had already been hit by drone fragments.

In Yaroslavl, two people were injured in what the regional governor, Mikhail Yevrayev, described on Telegram as a "massive attack" by Ukrainian drones, adding that more than 70 were brought down.

Drones downed near Moscow and in Leningrad; Crimea also targeted

Ukrainian strikes also focused on the Moscow region: local officials said 11 drones heading towards the Russian capital were destroyed. Authorities reported that 56 drones were intercepted in the Leningrad region in the north-west.

Ukrainian drones were likewise shot down over the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014.

In Sevastopol, on the Black Sea coast, the city remains without power after Ukraine struck energy infrastructure near the city, according to Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-appointed governor.

Ongoing war and stalled US-mediated talks

Russia has attacked Ukraine on a daily basis since launching its full-scale offensive in February 2022.

In response, the Ukrainian army regularly sends drones into Russia, largely aimed at energy infrastructure that enables Moscow to finance its war effort.

US-mediated negotiations intended to end the conflict are currently at a standstill.