Massive SBU and SSO Drone Strikes Hit Ryazan Oil Refinery, Triggering Fires and Airport Closures in Russia

[Updated at 13.55]: The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) confirmed on Facebook that SBU and SSO drones have attacked several Russian facilities involved in supplying the Russian military.

The General Staff also verified the destruction of the Kremniy El microelectronics plant in Bryansk, a key enterprise in Russia’s microelectronics industry.

The plant manufactures a variety of microcircuits and components critical for strategically significant weapons systems, including:

• Topol-M missile complexes
• Bulava missiles
• S-300 and S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems
• On-board electronics for combat aircraft
• Pantsir-S1/S2 air defense systems
• Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles
• Su-35 fighter jets.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), together with the Special Operations Forces (SSO), launched drone strikes on one of Russia’s largest oil refineries in Ryazan and the Ryazan Thermal Power Plant, sources within the SBU told Kyiv Post.

The refinery, with a processing capacity of 17 million tons of oil per year, is currently burning at least three tanks, the source said. The fire, sparked by the UAV strikes, spread to the workshop housing the hydrotreating unit for diesel fuel and aviation kerosene. Local residents reported more than 50 explosions on social media.

In addition, SBU and SSO drones also targeted the Ryazan oil pumping station and the Ryazan Thermal Power Plant.

“Work to weaken the enemy’s military capabilities will continue,” a source added.

Russian authorities reported that more than 120 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV - drones) were launched against several Russian regions overnight on Jan. 23/24. It was reported by Russian media that the strikes resulted in damage to industrial, oil, and energy facilities, as well as disrupting airport operations.

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Severe fires in the Ryazan region

Around 11:30 pm on Thursday, Russian local authorities reported its successful air defense intervention of drones aimed at the Ryazan region. The regional governor Pavel Malkov said there were no casualties and that “material damage is being assessed.”

However, several Telegram channels later reported around 10 explosions in the city, followed by an outbreak of severe fires at the Ryazan Oil Refining Company and the Novo-Ryazan Thermal Power Plant.

Russian social media also speculated that the Diaghilev military air base close to Ryazan, which reportedly houses Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic aircraft and the nearby 360th Aircraft Repair Plant might have been targeted.

Malkov claimed that drone debris fell on a private house, causing a fire that was quickly extinguished, with no reported casualties. However, he failed to mention any damage at the refinery or power plant, despite videos being circulated widely on social media.

Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, underlined the strategic importance of the Ryazan Oil Refining Company, part of Rosneft.

Kovalenko said that the plant is crucial to Russia’s oil industry produces fuel for the civilian sector as well as for military equipment, aviation kerosene, diesel, and other petroleum products used in Russian tanks, aircraft, ships, and other military assets.

Drones target Bryansk’s ‘Kremniy’ Plant

Russian Telegram channels reported a drone strike on the “Kremniy” [Silicon] Plant in the Bryansk region, which is said to produce microelectronics used in Russian missile systems. A fire reportedly broke out at the facility, with videos circulating on social media showing the plant engulfed in flames and thick smoke.

The Telegram channel Mash wrote that fragments of a destroyed drone fell near the plant. Bryansk’s governor Alexander Bogomaz confirmed that air defense systems were activated in response to the drone attack but provided no further details.

Kovalenko said that the “Kremniy” Plant manufactures critical components for Russian military hardware, including microelectronics for missile systems including the Pantsir air defense systems, Iskander missiles, radar stations, electronic warfare systems, and drones. This was at least the third reported drone strike on the facility, he added.

Just the day before the attack, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, met with officials from Bryansk’s military-industrial complex. Discussions reportedly focused on ramping up production of air defense systems and strengthening security for industrial and state facilities in the region, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Medvedev also visited the Bryansk Chemical Plant, which continues to fulfill state defense orders despite previous Ukrainian strikes. Analysts suggest that recent Ukrainian drone strikes are aimed at undermining Russia’s defense-industrial base and other facilities supporting its military operations.

The ISW outlined that the Kremlin may increasingly prioritize enhancing air defense capabilities to protect critical industrial assets, especially as Russia’s economy continues to struggle under the weight of war.

Moscow and Saratov under UAV’s attack

Drone activity was also reported in the Moscow and Saratov regions. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that air defense had intercepted several UAVs attempting to target the city.

Sobyanin later announced that two more drones were downed in the Podolsk city district, another in the Troitsky administrative district, and a fourth in the Shchelkovo city district. No damages or casualties were reported.

Social media reports said there had been a drone strike in Engels, the Saratov region, allegedly targeted on a local oil refinery. Residents reported hearing around seven explosions, as air defenses were active in the area.

Russian Telegram channels speculated that the attack involved “long-range Lyuty type” and 2.5-meter-long “Bober” kamikaze drones

Roman Busargin, governor of the Saratov region, announced that “UAVs were supposedly eliminated,” adding that no injuries or damage were reported.

‘Carpet’ plan activated at Russian airports

Shortly after midnight Rosaviatsia, Russia’s federal air transport authority, announced the temporary suspension of operations at Moscow’s Domodedovo and Zhukovsky international airports. The “Carpet” plan - a security protocol that halts airport operations when there is a threat to aircraft or a violation of Russia’s airspace - was also introduced at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport.

Additionally, flights at airports in Kazan, Samara, Penza, Saratov, and Nizhnekamsk faced restrictions, with Ufa Airport later announcing, “temporary restrictions on aircraft arrivals and departures.”

The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that 124 drones were “intercepted and destroyed” in a coordinated attack that targeted 11 regions and occupied Crimea orchestrated by Ukraine.

According to their statement, the highest numbers of UAVs were intercepted in the Bryansk region (37), Ryazan (20), and 17 each in Saratov and Kursk regions.