Ukrainian drones struck the Moscow oil refinery in the Kapotnya district early on June 18, 2026, setting off a large fire at one of Russia’s most important fuel plants. It was the second attack on the refinery in three days, and it sent thick columns of smoke over the Russian capital, about 15 kilometers from the Kremlin.
“Air defense forces continue repelling the massive attack. Several drones managed to reach the Moscow oil refinery,” Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin wrote on Telegram at around 6 a.m.
Multiple fires at a key fuel plant
The refinery, owned by Gazprom, is one of the largest in Russia. It supplies about half of the Moscow region’s diesel and around 40 percent of its gasoline, and it also produces aviation fuel for the capital’s airports. The Russian Telegram channel Astra published footage showing at least five separate fires inside the complex.
The plant had already been hit on June 16, when drones damaged its ELOU-AVT-6 primary processing unit and forced a temporary shutdown. A second strike so soon afterward is likely to make repairs harder and keep pressure on fuel supplies in the Moscow region.
One of the largest drone attacks on Moscow
Russian officials described the overnight raid as massive. Sobyanin said air defenses intercepted at least 194 drones approaching the city, although earlier official figures put the number at 52. Residents and monitoring channels reported drones flying over the capital throughout the morning.
Damage was not limited to the refinery. Sobyanin said the Sadovod shopping center caught fire after being hit by debris from an intercepted drone, with no injuries reported, though videos posted online appeared to show a missile, possibly from Russia’s own air defenses, striking the building. Astra reported that a drone hit the upper floors of a residential tower in Moscow, and another high-rise was struck in Zhukovsky, about 40 kilometers from the capital, where Moscow Region Governor Andrey Vorobyov said there were no initial reports of injuries.
Airports shut down
The attack caused major disruption to air travel. Russia’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, temporarily halted flights at Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky airports, and hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled.
Ukraine has steadily expanded its long-range drone campaign against Russian oil infrastructure, aiming to cut the fuel and revenue that support Moscow’s war effort. The figures reported by Russian officials could not be independently verified.
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