A Ukrainian attack started a fire at Russia’s Ryazan oil refinery on Thursday, October 15, as President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the resumption of strikes against Russian petroleum facilities. Regional Governor Pavel Malkov and Russia’s defence ministry confirmed the blaze. A senior Ukrainian official, speaking anonymously to the Associated Press, confirmed that Ukraine had hit the plant.
The Rosneft-owned refinery lies about 300 kilometres southeast of Moscow, supplies fuel to the capital and accounts for almost 5 per cent of Russia’s oil refining throughput. Officials were still assessing the damage. Available information did not establish how severely production had been affected or whether any disruption would be prolonged.
Zelensky told the Financial Times that Ukraine had suspended refinery attacks for three days at the United States’ request. He said Russia had continued bombing Ukrainian energy infrastructure during that period. President Donald Trump announced an energy ceasefire on Sunday, although neither side formally confirmed a mutually agreed arrangement.
Moscow disputes Kyiv’s account. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities had never stopped. The competing statements underscore the lack of a shared understanding of the proposed pause and the conditions needed to sustain it.
Authorities cancelled classes at 14 schools and 25 kindergartens in Ryazan. Malkov also reported damage to a warehouse and vehicles at another business. The extent of the refinery damage and any resulting loss of production remained unresolved as officials continued their assessment.
