Explosions hit the Russian city of Yaroslavl on 8 May, setting fire to the Yaroslavnefteorgsintez oil refinery. Moscow and Rostov-on-Don came under attack the same night, with damage reported across four locations in Rostov Oblast and two airports temporarily closed in the Russian capital, according to monitoring channels, Exilenova+, Russian officials on Telegram, ASTRA, and Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
Moscow: airport closures and downed drones
The first drones were detected on the evening of 7 May, monitoring channels report. Russia's aviation authority then announced restrictions on flights at Moscow's Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports, after which Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported the interception of drones. By morning, Sobyanin said 26 drones had been shot down on the approaches to the Russian capital overnight.
Yaroslavl: oil refinery fire
Monitoring channels also reported explosions in Yaroslavl, where, according to preliminary information, the Yaroslavnefteorgsintez refinery was struck and a fire broke out on its territory. Video circulated online shows smoke rising over the facility.
Rostov: plant struck, debris damages four locations
In Rostov-on-Don, the Agropromzapchast plant is reported to have come under a possible missile attack, with local residents describing a series of explosions followed by a large-scale fire.
Rostov Oblast Governor Yuri Slyusar later wrote on Telegram that the region had "repelled an attack by UAVs and missiles."
"There are no casualties. But, unfortunately, there were consequences on the ground. As a result of the falling debris of UAVs, there is destruction in the cities of Taganrog, Bataisk, Rostov-on-Don, and in the Myasnikovsky district," Slyusar said.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that 264 UAVs in total had been shot down over Russian oblasts. As is standard practice, Russian authorities did not say how many drones were not intercepted.
Background: competing ceasefire declarations
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on 4 May that Ukraine would observe a "silence regime" beginning at 00:00 on 6 May. Russia did not respond and continued combat operations and shelling of Ukraine, after which Zelenskyy said Russia had derailed the silence regime and pledged to act in a mirrored manner.
Earlier, on 4 May, Russia's Defense Ministry unilaterally announced a "ceasefire" for 8-9 May, coinciding with the 9 May Victory Day parade in Moscow. Russia threatened to launch a massive missile strike on the center of Kyiv if the parade were "disrupted."
Speaking on 4 May at the 8th European Political Community summit in Yerevan, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia's 9 May parade in Moscow would be held without military equipment for the first time in years and predicted that Ukrainian drones might appear over the city during the event.
"Russia has announced a parade on the ninth of May, but there will be no military equipment at this parade. This will be the first time, if this is indeed the case, in many, many years that they cannot afford the presence of weapons at the parade. And Ukrainian drones may also fly over this parade. This shows that they are already not as strong as before," Zelenskyy said during the speech.
