Ukrainian drones strike Moscow oil refinery, city shrouded in thick smoke – videos

Ukrainian drones have penetrated layered air defences and struck the Moscow Oil Refinery in the Kapotnya district, sparking a major fire at the facility.

Source: Telegram channels; Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin

Details: Residents of Moscow and Moscow Oblast reported a large-scale drone attack on the morning of 18 June. Despite claims by the Russian authorities that 43 drones had been downed, several UAVs reached their targets.

Videos circulating online show multiple fires burning across the site of the oil refinery in Kapotnya. Huge columns of thick black smoke can be seen rising above the city and are visible from various parts of Moscow.

"The air defence forces are continuing to repel the massive attack. Several drones managed to reach the Moscow Oil Refinery. Measures are being taken to deal with the consequences," Sobyanin wrote at around 06:00.

The strike on the Moscow Oil Refinery represents a significant blow to Russia's war machine and economy. Located just 15 kilometres from the Kremlin, the refinery is a critical part of the Russian capital's fuel infrastructure. It supplies around 40% of the Moscow metropolitan area's petrol needs and 50% of its diesel fuel as well as aviation fuel for military purposes.

Background: Ukrainian drones attacked the Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotnya on 16 June 2026. The strike damaged the ELOU-AVT-6 primary oil refining unit, forcing the refinery to temporarily suspend operations.

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