Fires break out at oil refinery in Yaroslavl and paint factory in Rostov after overnight drone strikes

Yaroslavl Oblast Governor Mikhail Evraev confirmed a drone attack on the area, warning residents about drone debris falling across the region. He reported no casualties but offered no further details on the strike's impact.

OSINT analysts at Astra reported that the Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery in Yaroslavl caught fire following the attack. The refinery has been targeted by Ukrainian drones on previous occasions.

Rostov Oblast Governor Yuri Slusar said debris from downed drones caused damage in the cities of Taganrog, Bataysk, and Rostov-on-Don, as well as in the Myasnikovsky district.

In Rostov, windows were blown out, a gas pipe was damaged in residential buildings, a freight truck was hit, and an administrative building sustained damage.

Astra also reported a fire near the Empils paint and varnish plant — described as one of the key chemical and coatings facilities in southern Russia — and near a branch of the Radar scientific and technical center.

Russia's Defense Ministry claimed it had shot down 264 Ukrainian drones between midnight and 7 a.m. on May 8, according to state news agency TASS.

On May 4, Russia's Defense Ministry unilaterally declared a ceasefire for May 8–9 and threatened massive strikes on central Kyiv if Ukraine attempted to disrupt Victory Day celebrations in Moscow.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded by declaring his own ceasefire beginning midnight on May 6, saying any pause must be lasting — not just "a few hours" for a Moscow parade.

Presidential Office chief Kyrylo Budanov said at the time that Ukraine would extend the ceasefire if Russia reciprocated.

Russia violated the silence immediately, attacking Ukrainian cities overnight into May 6.