A fire broke out at one of Russia’s largest oil refineries in the Yaroslavl region north of Moscow on Wednesday morning in what authorities described as a “man-made” incident unrelated to Ukrainian drone strikes.
“Residents were concerned this could be the result of an enemy drone attack. But what happened has nothing to do with it,” Yaroslavl region Governor Mikhail Yevrayev wrote on Telegram.
Local media published eyewitness videos showing a thick plume of black smoke against the skies around the area of the Slavneft-Yanos refinery in the city of Yaroslavl.
Yaroslavl is located over 240 kilometers (150 miles) northeast of Moscow and 700 kilometers (430 miles) from the border with Ukraine.
[SRC] https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/10/01/not-a-drone-attack-major-oil-refinery-catches-fire-in-russias-yaroslavl-region-a90679
