Drone Strikes Damage CDU Units and Process Rack at Novoshakhtinsk and Yaroslavl Oil Refineries

Ukrainian drone attacks damaged production infrastructure at the Novoshakhtinsk and Yaroslavl oil refineries, forcing one of the facilities to halt operations.

The Dnipro OSINT community published the satellite imagery.

Analysis of the Novoshakhtinsk refinery shows additional damage to two CDU units, which had also been damaged in previous attacks.

In addition, the imagery shows repair cranes being used for restoration work.

On August 25, 2026, Ukrainian drones attacked the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery, after which the facility suspended operations.

The Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery’s design capacity is estimated at approximately 7.5 million tonnes of crude oil per year, equivalent to around 112,000–115,000 barrels per day. However, some sources estimate the facility’s capacity at between 5.6 million and 7.5 million tonnes per year, depending on the calculation method used.

The oil refinery was commissioned in 2009. It was one of the first major oil refineries built in Russia after a long period without significant new refinery construction.

Main oil pipelines operated by Transneft, as well as railway lines, connect to the facility. They provide supplies of crude oil and the shipment of finished products. Petroleum products are also transported by water via a terminal on the Don River.

The Yaroslavl oil refinery was also damaged. On August 28, 2026, Ukrainian drones attacked the facility.

According to an analysis of satellite imagery, two strikes hit the area of the process racks.

Meanwhile, the available satellite imagery does not allow for reliable confirmation of reported damage to the AVT-3 crude oil distillation unit. The relevant area is obscured by cloud cover, preventing a detailed assessment of its condition.

Thus, satellite imagery confirms that both refineries sustained damage. However, the extent of the attack’s impact on each processing unit at the Yaroslavl refinery remains unclear.

Slavneft-YANOS is the largest oil refinery in Russia’s Central Federal District. The refinery has the capacity to process up to 15 million tonnes of crude oil per year. It is located more than 700 kilometers from Ukraine’s state border.

The facility produces a wide range of petroleum products, from automotive gasoline to jet fuel and lubricants.