Ukraine drones set Moscow oil refinery ablaze in major attack

Thursday, June 18, 2026Confirmed

World Desk

What we know

Ukraine struck the Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotnya on Thursday for a second time in a week, sending thick black smoke over the capital and disrupting hundreds of flights in one of Kyiv’s largest drone attacks on Moscow since Russia’s full-scale invasion, officials said. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defenses shot down at least 194 drones bound for the capital; Russia’s Defense Ministry reported 555 drones intercepted nationwide overnight.

Governor Andrei Vorobyov said 17 people were injured in the Moscow region, including two children. Flights from four Moscow airports were temporarily halted; Kommersant counted more than 500 delayed or canceled flights. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the refinery hit a justified response to Russian strikes and said he had won further support pledges after G7 coordination with the U.S. and France.

What's confirmed

Moscow Oil Refinery fire after Ukrainian drone barrage; second hit in a week (AP/CNN/BBC/PBS).
Sobyanin: ~194 drones toward Moscow; Defense Ministry: 555 drones downed nationwide (AP/CNN).
17 injured in Moscow region; 500+ flights delayed/canceled at capital airports (AP/PBS).
Zelenskyy: strike justified; Putin in Kazan hosting ASEAN leaders during attack (AP/France 24).

What's still developing

How long the Kapotnya complex stays offline and how fuel shortages spread beyond Moscow.
Scale of any Russian retaliatory strikes after Volodin’s vow of harsher blows.
Whether G7/NATO follow-through on air-defense and pressure tracks accelerates.

Sources

AP News — Ukrainian drones set a Moscow refinery ablaze in a major attack link
CNN — Ukraine launches largest attack on Moscow since start of full-scale war link
BBC — Moscow residents complain of black rain after largest Ukrainian attack hits oil refinery link
PBS NewsHour — Ukrainian drones set a Moscow refinery ablaze in a major attack on the Russian capital link
France 24 — Ukraine hits Moscow oil refinery in one of the largest drone attacks since the start of the war link