In Russia, drones attacked Yaroslavl; the highway to Moscow has been closed
On the night of May 22, the Russian city of Yaroslavl came under a massive drone attack. Numerous explosions were heard throughout the city, after which authorities imposed emergency security restrictions and temporarily suspended operations at the airport.
This was reported by Russian Telegram channels and the region’s governor, Mikhail Yevraev.
According to local residents, air raid sirens went off in Yaroslavl around 1:30 a.m. After that, residents heard at least 15–20 powerful explosions.
Eyewitnesses also reported bright flashes in the sky, and the shock waves triggered a mass activation of car alarms in the city’s residential neighborhoods.
Due to the threat of repeated drone strikes, Russian authorities have implemented additional security measures.
The exit from Yaroslavl toward Moscow was completely blocked. Restrictions are in effect on the section of the M-8 highway from the intersection of Moskovsky Prospekt and the South-Western Ring Road.
Governor Mikhail Yevraev urged residents to temporarily refrain from traveling in that direction.
Amid the threat of new drone attacks, Yaroslavl Airport has temporarily suspended flight arrivals and departures.
At this time, Russian authorities have not officially reported on the extent of the damage or the possible consequences of the attack. Meanwhile, local residents describe the attack as one of the most extensive in the region in recent times.
As a reminder, since the start of the full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have carried out 158 strikes on Russian oil refining infrastructure. The vast majority of key enterprises in the industry have come under fire—24 out of 33 large and medium-sized oil refineries (ORs) in Russia.
On the night of May 21, fighters from the Special Operations Forces (SOF) and Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine delivered a precision strike on the Syzran Oil Refinery in the Samara region of the Russian Federation.
In Russia, following the drone attack, fires broke out at the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez oil refinery in the city of Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, and on the grounds of the Azot chemical plant in Nevinnomyssk, Stavropol Krai.
On the night of May 20, a series of explosions rocked the Stavropol Krai in Russia, followed by reports of damage to the Nevinnomyssk Azot plant. The plant is one of the largest producers of ammonia and ammonium nitrate in Russia. Details regarding the extent of the damage and the consequences of the attack are still being determined.
