Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks on Moscow since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, striking a major oil refinery in the Russian capital and sending thick black smoke over parts of the city, according to Russian officials and multiple reports.
The Moscow Oil Refinery in the Kapotnya district — one of the capital region’s key fuel facilities — was hit overnight Thursday, marking the second reported strike on the site in three days. Videos circulating online showed large flames and black smoke rising from the facility, while Russian officials said air defenses intercepted waves of incoming drones.
Kyiv says its strikes deep inside Russia are evidence that it is turning the tide of the war — a message President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took this week to President Donald Trump and other G7 leaders at a summit in France.
The latest strikes underscore a new phase of the war, with Ukraine increasingly able to hit high-value targets deep inside Russia while Moscow struggles to prevent drones from reaching politically sensitive and economically important sites near the capital.
‘A NEW KIND OF WAR’: INSIDE UKRAINE’S HIDDEN FACTORIES MASS-PRODUCING COMBAT DRONES
“This is pure hell, I’ve never felt such terror,” one Moscow resident said after the attack, according to East2West News.
Another resident, according to the outlet, asked: “Why won’t this madman stop his crazy and pointless war and end the death and destruction?”
East2West news agency also reported that a heavy security presence was deployed around the Kremlin, with Red Square sealed off and machine-gunners positioned on towers, ramparts and near Bolsheviks’ founder Vladimir Lenin’s Mausoleum.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said air defenses shot down more than 130 drones approaching the city. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed more than 550 Ukrainian drones were intercepted overnight across several regions, though battlefield claims from either side could not be independently verified.
PUTIN RESIDENCE ATTACK VIDEO SLAMMED AS US OFFICIALS SAY UKRAINE DID NOT TARGET LEADER
The attack disrupted daily life across Moscow, forcing temporary flight suspensions at major airports and traffic restrictions near the refinery. Russian officials said debris also fell near the Sadovod shopping center, damaging a building. The Moscow region governor said 16 people were injured in the broader attack.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha mocked the confusion in Moscow, writing on X: “One of the most popular questions asked by Muscovites this morning is ‘What is going on?’ I can answer. Your country started a war of aggression against ours. For years, it has been killing our people. Now that you know what’s going on, ask Putin when he is planning to end it.”
The strike appeared to expose vulnerabilities in Moscow’s heavily promoted air defense network, bringing the war deeper into the Russian capital even as the Kremlin continues its long-range missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities.
RUSSIA SAYS UKRAINIAN DRONES HIT NUCLEAR POWER PLANT DURING INDEPENDENCE DAY STRIKES
The Kapotnya refinery is a strategically significant target. A prior Ukrainian drone strike damaged part of the refinery in recent days, according to Reuters, and forced a halt in some operations.
East2West reported that the refinery supplies 40% of Moscow’s fuel market and 70% of the surrounding region’s gasoline and aviation fuel needs.
Ukraine increasingly has targeted Russian energy infrastructure in an effort to undermine Moscow’s war machine and increase the domestic cost of the war inside Russia. Kyiv has described such strikes as part of its campaign of “long-range sanctions” against Russia’s oil and military infrastructure.
The Moscow attack came as President Vladimir Putin hosted leaders from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc in Kazan, Russia. Ukraine also reportedly struck targets linked to Russia’s supply routes to occupied Crimea, including road and rail infrastructure. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said isolating Crimea is a key military objective as Kyiv seeks to weaken Russia’s hold on the peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014.
Russia, meanwhile, continued its own strikes on Ukraine. Ukrainian officials reported Russian attacks on energy and oil facilities in the Poltava region and near Kyiv.
East2West reported that Russia was moving Tu-95MS strategic bombers across the country, raising concerns that Moscow could be preparing another major strike on Ukraine in the coming days.
Zelenskyy has said the war could end if Putin agrees to genuine peace talks, while accusing Moscow of prolonging the conflict and using negotiations as cover for continued attacks.
Reuters contributed to this report.
‘Pure hell’ in Moscow as Ukrainian drones strike major refinery supplying capital’s fuel market 2026 IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2026 2026-06-18 17:01:06 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
