Putin’s ‘Ceasefire’ Shaken by Massive Ukrainian Drone Blitz Across Russia

Ukrainian drones struck multiple targets deep inside Russia overnight, setting a major oil refinery ablaze in Yaroslavl and triggering explosions near defense-linked facilities in Rostov-on-Don. Moscow reported drones intercepted near the capital, while airports briefly halted flights – hours after the Kremlin’s Victory Day “ceasefire” took effect. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied he Slavneft-YANOS refinery, one of Russia’s largest oil-processing facilities and a key fuel supplier for the country’s central region, burns following a reported Ukrainian strike. (ASTRA / Telegram) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google Ukrainian drones struck multiple targets deep inside Russia early morning on Friday, May 8, setting ablaze a major oil refinery in Yaroslavl and triggering explosions near military-linked industrial facilities in Rostov-on-Don, according to Russian monitoring channels and OSINT analysts. The strikes came just hours after the Kremlin’s self-declared May 8-10 “Victory Day ceasefire ” officially came into effect. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said Russian air defenses intercepted several drones approaching the capital late on May 7. The attacks forced temporary flight restrictions at Moscow’s Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports, Russia’s aviation authority confirmed. No damage was officially reported in Moscow, though residents reported explosions across the region. Farther south, explosions rocked Rostov-on-Don overnight, with footage shared online showing a large fire burning in the city’s western industrial district. OSINT project ASTRA said geolocation analysis placed the blaze near the Empils chemical plant and a branch of the Radar Scientific and Technical Center, a defense-linked enterprise that reportedly cooperates with Russia’s Defense Ministry. Empils is one of the largest paint and chemical manufacturers in southern Russia and was previously targeted in a drone strike earlier this year. In Yaroslavl, another fire erupted at the Slavneft-YANOS refinery , one of Russia’s largest oil-processing facilities and a key fuel supplier in the country’s central region, ASTRA reported after analyzing eyewitness footage. Other Topics of Interest Russia Says Talks Unlikely Without Ukraine Leaving Donbas Russia says it will not continue trilateral negotiations with the US and Ukraine unless Kyiv withdraws from parts of Donbas. Ukrainian officials dismissed the demand, calling it proof Moscow is not seeking peace. Talks with US partners continue on humanitarian and security issues as diplomatic efforts remain stalled. The refinery, controlled by Russian energy giants Rosneft and Gazprom through the Slavneft joint venture, has repeatedly come under Ukrainian drone attacks as Kyiv intensifies strikes against Russia’s military and energy infrastructure far behind the front line. The overnight attack came amid competing ceasefire proposals ahead of Russia’s May 9 Victory Day celebrations in Moscow. The Kremlin had proposed a temporary  truce for May 8-9  tied to the anniversary events. Zelensky dismissed the proposal as “cynical,” calling it a “theatrical performance” designed to protect the Red Square parade from potential Ukrainian strikes rather than establish a genuine pause in fighting. Kyiv instead proposed what Zelensky described as a unilateral “ regime of silence ” beginning May 6 to test whether Moscow was serious about pursuing a real ceasefire. According to the Ukrainian president, Moscow  ignored the offer  and violated the proposal within hours. “Russia has not stopped any type of its military activity,” he said. Zelensky added that Ukraine would respond “mirror-like” to Russian actions and determine “fully justified responses” depending on developments overnight and on May 7. Moscow, meanwhile, warned foreign diplomatic missions and international organizations on Wednesday that it could launch “ massive retaliatory strikes ” on Kyiv, including against what it called “decision-making centers,” if Ukraine disrupts Victory Day events in the Russian capital. Russia has also  scaled back  this year’s May 9 parade, with state media and officials indicating that heavy military equipment such as tanks and armored vehicles may not appear for the first time since 2007. Russian officials cited the “operational situation,” while Zelensky suggested fears of Ukrainian drone strikes were the real reason behind the reduced display. Alisa is the Head of News and a correspondent at Kyiv Post, where she leads the newsroom’s coverage of breaking events and global developments.  With over seven years of experience in TV journalism, Alisa has reported on international and Ukrainian politics, making complex stories easier to understand. Back in September 2022, Alisa joined the Kyiv Post team.