Ukrainian drones struck Yaroslavl overnight on May 22, prompting authorities to close the road toward Moscow at the intersection of Moskovsky Prospekt and the Southwestern Ring Road.

Yaroslavl Governor Mikhail Yevrayev said air defense forces and electronic warfare systems had repelled the attack with no casualties. He urged residents not to approach the wreckage of downed drones and “not to use their phones near them.” Since October 2025, the Yaroslavl region has banned publication of photos showing the aftermath of drone attacks or air defense operations, under threat of fines.

All four Moscow airports — Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Zhukovsky, and Sheremetyevo — restricted operations overnight on May 22 because of the drone threat, lifting the restrictions by morning. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin’s Telegram channel published reports from midnight onward of six drones shot down as they flew toward the city.

A drone strike on Russia’s Yaroslavl Region on May 19 damaged the Yaroslavl-3 oil pumping station. Drones had previously struck the Slavneft-YANOS refinery in Yaroslavl on several occasions, forcing the facility to suspend operations.

On the night of May 17, Ukrainian drones carried out the largest strike on Moscow and the Moscow Region since the start of the full-scale war, killing three people and wounding 16. The targets included oil refining facilities and defense industry enterprises.