A large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Ryazan region reportedly damaged an Il-78 aerial refueling aircraft at Dyagilevo airbase
according to OSINT analysts who examined available photographs and videos. The Il-78, developed from the Il-76 military transport aircraft, provides in-flight refueling for Russian military aviation, extending the range and endurance of aircraft. Any confirmed damage could affect Russia’s aerial refueling capacity, although the aircraft’s condition and operational status remain unclear. The Ryazan Oil Refinery was also reportedly hit, with damage described at several processing units, including AVT-1, AVT-4, AT-6, and AVT-3, as well as three secondary processing facilities. A significant fire was reported at the complex. The refinery has an annual processing capacity of approximately 17 million tonnes of crude oil and is an important part of Russia’s fuel infrastructure. Additional reported targets included a Wildberries logistics warehouse and the OpenYard server-equipment production facility, where fires were also said to have broken out. The full extent of the damage at these locations has not been independently established.
The attack comes amid reports of repeated Ukrainian strikes against Russian oil facilities during November
The reported targeting of individual processing units, rather than only storage tanks, highlights the potential economic and operational impact of attacks on refining infrastructure. If confirmed, the damage to the Il-78 and refinery facilities would add pressure to Russia’s military aviation and fuel supply networks.
