Russia complains about drone attack on Yaroslavl, has to block exit to moscow

On the night of May 22, the russian city of Yaroslavl came under drone attack, causing explosions throughout the city, the temporary closure of the airport, and the blocking of traffic on the highway toward moscow. It was reported on russian social media and in a statement by Mikhail Yevrayev, the governor of the Yaroslavl Oblast.

Around 1:30 a.m., air raid sirens went off in the city. After that, local residents heard between 15 and 20 explosions and saw flashes in the sky, while car alarms went off en masse in residential areas due to the shock waves.

Due to the risk of further strikes, authorities imposed restrictions. Specifically, they completely blocked the exit from Yaroslavl toward moscow on a section of the M-8 highway—from the intersection of Moskovsky Prospekt and the South-Western Ring Road. The local airport also temporarily suspended flight arrivals and departures. By morning, the roadblocks had been lifted, and traffic toward the russian capital had resumed.

The regional governor stated that the drone attack was allegedly repelled by air defense and electronic warfare forces as the drones approached the city, and that there were no casualties. He added that the attack occurred while the region was celebrating the victory of the “Lokomotiv” hockey team. Residents were urged not to approach the drone debris and not to use mobile phones near it, as the “drone danger” alert remains in effect in the region.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on May 18, units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez oil refinery in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. A fire was reported on the refinery’s premises.