A large-scale Ukrainian drone attack targeted a major Moscow oil refinery, causing massive fires and black smoke near the capital. The assault, which involved dozens of drones, led to hundreds of flight delays and cancellations at Moscow's airports and raised concerns about fuel supply restrictions across Russia. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy linked the strike to efforts to bring Russia to negotiations, while EU leaders voiced support for Ukraine and called for increased pressure on Moscow.
A significant Ukrainian drone attack struck a major oil refinery in the Moscow region on Thursday, June 18, 2026, sending towering plumes of black smoke over the capital and disrupting hundreds of flights.
The assault, one of the largest of its kind since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, targeted the Moscow Oil Refinery located about nine miles from the Kremlin. Thick, black smoke and occasional flames spewed from the facility's red-and-white smokestacks, with sooty residue reported falling on cars in surrounding areas. According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, the fire was "largely contained" within hours, though remaining hotspots continued to be extinguished.
The attack marked the second time in a week that Ukraine struck this key installation, which produces more than a third of the Moscow region's fuel. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, in a post on X, addressed the concerns of Muscovites, stating, "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 drone barrage, comprising dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles, occurred just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced he had held "an important coordination call" with the presidents of the United States and France. Zelenskyy declared, "If Ukraine is going to burn, your Moscow will burn too," framing the attack as part of Ukraine's strategy to compel Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate.
"It is time to end the aggression, time to end this war," he added. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy was in Brussels meeting with NATO and European Union leaders, discussing among other things the possibility of a continental ballistic missile defense system. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, after meeting with Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, posted on X: "Russia is on the back foot: militarily, economically and politically.
Now is the time to provide Ukraine with even greater support and to exert even more pressure on Russia to end the war.
" The assault had immediate and widespread effects beyond the refinery fires. Four Moscow airports temporarily halted operations, leading to massive disruptions. The Russian business daily Kommersant reported over 500 delayed or canceled flights based on online flight data.
In addition to the refinery, a drone struck a residential building in the town of Zhukovsky, and debris damaged structures elsewhere, injuring 17 people including two children, according to Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses shot down 555 Ukrainian drones overnight across multiple regions, with nearly 200 intercepted near Moscow. As Ukraine continued strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, fuel supply strains emerged.
Independent outlet Agentstvo reported that approximately one in four gas stations nationwide had introduced purchase restrictions. While authorities in Moscow insisted that "supplies of oil products to Moscow and the work of all gas stations in the city continue as normal," the attack underscored the vulnerability of Russia's energy sector and the expanding reach of Ukrainian drone capabilities deep into Russian territory
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