UAV event in Rybinsk area, Russian Federation on Wed 31st December 2025

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) carried out a strike on an oil facility north of Moscow on the morning of Dec. 31, a law enforcement source told the Kyiv Independent.

Ukraine has escalated its strike campaign against oil facilities inside Russia and Russian-occupied territories throughout 2025, primarily relying on domestically developed drones. Oil and gas are key sources of revenue for Moscow, helping to fuel its invasion of Ukraine.

The latest operation targeted a large oil depot in Rybinsk, a city 160 miles north of Moscow in Yaroslavl Oblast, the source said.

They added that the facility is managed by Rosreserv, a state agency responsible for stockpiling commodities for times of crisis.

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces later confirmed that the facility was attacked and that a fire broke out on site.

In the early hours of Dec. 31, Yaroslavl Oblast Governor Mikhail Yevraev declared a drone threat to residents. Russian media later reported explosions in Rybinsk.

Footage shared with the Kyiv Independent appeared to show a large fire and plumes of black smoke rising from the purported attack site.

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims.

“The SBU continues to cut off the supply chains of Russian oil products with surgical precision," a source inside the SBU told the Kyiv Independent. "This systematic work will continue in 2026."

Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) earlier on Dec. 31 claimed to have hit a large oil refinery on Russia's Black Sea coast in a separate attack, causing damage to pipelines and other equipment.