Zelensky confirms Yaroslavl refinery strike as Ukraine intensifies energy campaign

President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that Ukrainian forces attacked an oil refinery in the Yaroslavl region, marking the latest escalation in Kyiv’s campaign to disrupt Russian energy revenue. Speaking on the Telegram messaging app on Friday, 22 May 2026, Zelensky stated that the Ukrainian Defence Forces operated against targets associated with the facility overnight. The refinery is located approximately 700 kilometres from the Ukrainian border.

The strike is part of a broader strategy by Kyiv to slash the income Moscow generates from oil sales, which helps fund the war effort. The Ukrainian Defence Ministry reported on X that Ukrainian forces had hit 11 Russian oil facilities in May alone, including the Kirishi refinery. Official data and sources cited by Reuters indicate that virtually all major oil refineries in central Russia have halted or scaled back fuel output following recent drone attacks.

Zelensky framed the intensified operations as a necessary measure to bring the conflict back to Russian territory. "We are bringing the war back home – to Russia – and that's only fair," he said. This approach involves a tactic of repeatedly targeting the same facilities, aiming to degrade Russia’s industrial capacity despite global energy prices rising during the concurrent Iran conflict and eased sanctions on Moscow’s oil sales.

In a separate incident in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region, Ukrainian drones struck the Starobelsk Professional College, damaging both an academic building and a student dormitory. Russian-installed governor Leonid Pasechnik reported that the five-storey building collapsed to the second floor. He stated that 86 students aged 14 to 18 were in the building at the time of the strike, with 35 suffering injuries of varying severity.

Russian authorities have accused the Ukrainian military of firing four drones at the site. The Kremlin’s Investigative Committee described the building’s collapse, and the resulting casualties, as a "heinous crime," with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov condemning the attack. Starobilsk, where the college is located, was captured by Russian forces in 2022 and lies approximately 65 kilometres from the front line. Ukraine maintains it does not target civilians, stating its strikes are retaliatory measures against Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.