2026 Moscow Oil Refinery Drone Attacks

2026 Moscow Oil Refinery Drone Attacks are two separate unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks carried out by Ukraine on the Moscow Oil Refinery (MNPZ) located in the Kapotnya district of Russia’s capital, Moscow, on 16 June 2026 and 18 June 2026. The refinery, operated by Gazprom Neft, is situated approximately 15 kilometers from the Kremlin and is among the key fuel production facilities in the Moscow region.

^{In Russia, black smoke rises from the Moscow Oil Refinery following UAV attacks, 18 June 2026 – (Anadolu Ajansı)}

The attack on 18 June 2026 was described by Russian media outlets as one of the most intense UAV assaults on Moscow since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war. The attacks were later confirmed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who characterized them as a response to Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities.

On 16 June 2026, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin stated on his social media account that a facility at the Moscow Oil Refinery in the Kapotnya district had been damaged in a UAV attack. Sobyanin reported no injuries and noted that 60 UAVs had been shot down during attacks on the capital since the night of 16 June.

Russian Ministry of Defense reported that 172 Ukrainian UAVs had been neutralized across various regions including Moscow, as well as over the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, between 20:00 local time on the previous day and 07:00 on 16 June. A fire broke out at a petroleum terminal after debris from a downed UAV fell in the Krasnodar region.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated that the refinery had been struck from a distance of 500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border and said, “The effect of Ukraine’s long-range weapons was felt this time in the Moscow region.” Zelenskiy asserted that such long-range strikes provided a “fair response” to Russian aerial attacks and argued that Russia must end the war.

On the morning of 18 June 2026, Ukraine launched a second UAV attack on the Moscow Oil Refinery. Sobyanin stated that air defense forces had continued to repel a heavy assault, that some UAVs had succeeded in reaching the refinery, and that measures had been taken to mitigate the damage. The attack occurred between 04:00 and 07:00 local time.

Sobyanin initially reported that 137 UAVs had been shot down, later updating that a total of 194 UAVs had been intercepted as they approached the capital. Russian Ministry of Defense announced that 555 Ukrainian UAVs had been destroyed nationwide during the night of 18 June. According to The Moscow Times, the previous record for the highest number of UAVs targeted at Moscow in a single night was 74 on 11 March 2026.

Sobyanin noted that debris from downed UAVs had fallen on the area of Sadovod, one of Moscow’s largest marketplaces, causing damage to a building. He added, “There were no injuries; emergency teams are continuing their work at the debris site.”

Following the attack, images of fires at the refinery and footage showing UAV impacts on residential buildings in Moscow were shared on social media platforms. According to video analysis by the independent Russian monitoring channel Astra, at least five fires broke out at the facility.

^{In Russia, black smoke rises from the Moscow Oil Refinery following UAV attacks, 18 June 2026 – (Anadolu Ajansı)}

Gazprom Neft’s Moscow Oil Refinery is located in the Kapotnya district in southeastern Moscow, approximately 15 kilometers from the Kremlin. The facility supplies up to 40 percent of Moscow’s fuel market and about 70 percent of the gasoline consumed in the region. The refinery’s processing capacity exceeds 12 million tons of crude oil per year.

Reuters reported that, according to the most recent available data, the refinery processed 11.6 million metric tons of crude oil in 2024, producing 2.9 million tons of gasoline and 3.2 million tons of diesel. Ukrainian General Staff stated that the refinery supplies aviation fuel to Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky airports.^【1】

On 18 June, Moscow Region Governor Andrey Vorobyov reported that a UAV had struck a multi-story building in Zhukovsky, prompting the evacuation of residents. He also noted damage to a sports hall and an industrial facility in Lyubertsy, and a fire at a shopping center in Kotelniki.

Vorobyov stated, “Sixteen people were injured in the UAV attacks in the Moscow region, two of them children. Medical assistance is being provided. Necessary operations are ongoing following the attacks.” The Moscow Times and The Kyiv Independent reported that 17 people, including two children, were injured in the Moscow region.

Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) announced on 18 June that Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky airports in Moscow had temporarily suspended accepting and dispatching flights.

Sheremetyevo, Moscow’s busiest airport, halted flights and evacuated passengers during the attack. Russia’s largest airline, Aeroflot, and its subsidiary Rossiya canceled more than 170 flights to and from Moscow and delayed over 110 others.

^{In Russia, black smoke rises from the Moscow Oil Refinery following UAV attacks, 18 June 2026 – (Anadolu Ajansı)}

As part of the 18 June attacks, a petroleum depot in the city of Gukovo in Russia’s Rostov region was also targeted. Rostov Region Governor Yuri Slyusar reported that one person had been killed and two injured in the UAV strike. He also confirmed damage to a locomotive and fires at “two commercial facilities.”

Authorities in the Belgorod border region reported that a Ukrainian UAV attack had killed a man on board the vehicle. Zelenskiy stated that Ukraine had also conducted strikes against targets in Russia’s Rostov region and against Russian military targets in occupied Ukrainian territories.

Zelenskiy confirmed the attack on the MNPZ on his social media account, stating, “This is a completely fair response to Russian attacks on our cities and settlements.” He added, “All our partners have recognized the precision and effectiveness of our medium- and long-range strikes in recent days. The time has come to end this war, and Russia must take the necessary steps toward diplomacy.”

According to The Kyiv Independent, Zelenskiy told journalists on 18 June that Ukraine would continue responding if Russian President Vladimir Putin refused to end the war, and he described the attack as a response to Russia’s 15 June strike on the Kyiv-based Pechersk Lavra.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andri Sybiha, in a social media post, stated that Muscovites asking “what is happening?” should direct that question to Putin.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched at least seven ballistic missiles and 239 UAVs against Ukraine during the night of 18 June; Ukraine reported that at least 216 UAVs or missiles had been neutralized. One person was killed in a UAV attack in the northeastern city of Sumy.