Ukraine strikes Yaroslavl oil refinery, causing gasoline shortages across Russia
Drone attacks on one of Russia's five largest refineries have slashed national refining capacity by roughly 25%, forcing fuel rationing in dozens of regions
Ukraine’s sustained drone campaign against Russian energy infrastructure has found its most consequential target yet. The Slavneft-YANOS refinery in Yaroslavl Oblast, one of Russia’s five largest oil refineries with a capacity of approximately 15 million tonnes of crude per year, has been hit repeatedly throughout 2026, and the cumulative damage is now impossible for Moscow to paper over.
By late June, Ukrainian strikes had reduced Russia’s overall refining capacity by roughly 25%. The domestic fuel supply shortfall hit approximately 15%, triggering fuel rationing in at least 56 regions across the country. That list includes Moscow itself.
A refinery under siege
The Yaroslavl facility, located roughly 250 kilometers northeast of Moscow, has endured a relentless series of attacks. Confirmed strikes landed on March 28, April 26, May 8, May 22, and continued into the summer with hits on July 6, July 16, and August 6, bringing the total to at least seven separate attacks in 2026 alone.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the strikes on June 28, framing them in characteristically blunt terms.
Zelenskyy described the attacks as “long-range sanctions” aimed at crippling Russia’s ability to wage war.
On June 28, fresh fires were reported at the Yaroslavl site, and a separate strike on a facility in Krasnodar Krai’s Slavyansk resulted in one fatality.
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Russia’s fuel crisis deepens
Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the fuel shortages during late June, calling them “obvious” while insisting the situation was “not critical.”
The shortages have rippled well beyond the gas pump. Agricultural operations in politically sensitive regions are struggling to secure enough diesel to keep equipment running during the growing season. Transportation networks face additional disruptions as fuel allocations tighten.
The Kremlin’s response has been a mix of regulatory improvisation and damage control. Russian authorities legalized the sale of lower-grade fuels to stretch available supply. Moscow has also pushed for increased fuel imports, an ironic reversal for the world’s second-largest oil-producing nation.