Ukrainian drones attacked the Moscow Oil Refinery (MNPZ) for the second time this week on the morning of Thursday, June 18, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced.
“Air defense forces continue repelling a massive attack. Several drones managed to reach the MNPZ. Measures are being taken to mitigate the consequences,” Sobyanin wrote on Telegram.
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Located just 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the Kremlin, the MNPZ, owned by Gazprom Neft, supplies up to 40% of Moscow’s fuel market and around 70% of gasoline consumed in Moscow and the surrounding region.
The refinery’s processing capacity exceeds 12 million tons of oil per year.
Sobyanin also reported that debris from downed drones fell on the grounds of the Sadovod shopping center – one of Moscow’s largest markets and a major electronics hub – damaging one of the buildings. No injuries were reported.
In total, 137 Ukrainian drones were allegedly shot down by Russian air defense during the raid, which lasted from 4:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., the mayor added.
At 4:40 a.m., the Ukrainian Telegram monitoring channel Exilenova+ reported FP-1 attack drones in the skies over Moscow. By 5:14 a.m., the channel said explosions were already being heard across the city.
“Kapotnya oil refinery – locals are reporting that at least two tanks are burning,” the channel later wrote.
“One of the most secure cities in the world, home to one of the largest oil refineries in central Russia, is ablaze. The consequences of Putin’s war are on video. The myth of ‘inaccessible Moscow’ has been definitively debunked,” Exilenova+ reported.
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A 7:58 a.m. update said at least five fires were burning at the refinery, with explosions continuing.
According to Russian outlet Astra OSINT analysis, at least one residential building was also struck in Moscow.
“Based on video footage captured by eyewitnesses, an Astra OSINT analyst determined that the attack hit a multi-story residential building at 16 Novye Kotelniki Microdistrict. The impact affected the upper floors. The footage was filmed from Dorkina Street,” the report said.
However, Sobyanin did not report any strike on a residential building in his official statements.
Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov said a drone also struck an apartment building on Gagarin Street in Zhukovsky during the attack on the capital. Preliminary reports indicate no injuries, and residents are being evacuated.
In Lyubertsy, drone debris damaged a fitness center and a facility in an industrial zone. The roof of the Belaya Dacha shopping center also caught fire.
Meanwhile, about 60 drones reportedly attacked Russia’s Rostov region overnight. A strike on the city of Gukovo killed one person and injured two, Governor Yuriy Slyusar said.
According to Slyusar, the attack caused “two fires at commercial facilities.”
Astra, citing eyewitness photos, reported that an oil depot was on fire.
“Based on a video published by the Supernova+ monitoring channel, an Astra OSINT analyst determined that the oil depot on Karl Marx Street is on fire. The footage was filmed from Kostyushkina Street,” the report said.
There is no precise official data in open sources regarding the storage capacity of the Gukovo oil depot. However, Google satellite imagery from 2026 indicates that the facility contains eight storage tanks used for petroleum products, with railway lines running through the site, the monitoring channel added.
President Volodymyr Zelensky later confirmed the hit on the MNPZ in a social media post.
“Our long-range sanctions once again reached the Moscow region: for the second time in a week, the Moscow Oil Refinery was hit,” he wrote.
He added that targets in Russia’s Rostov region and in the occupied territories of Ukraine were also struck.
“A completely fair response to Russian strikes on our cities and communities, and another important result of the work of our soldiers against facilities that support the Russian war machine,” Zelensky wrote.
The president thanked Ukraine’s Defense and Security Forces for their joint efforts.
“These days, all our partners have noted the accuracy and effectiveness of our medium-range strikes and long-range sanctions. It is time to end this war, and Russia must take the necessary steps toward diplomacy,” he added.
Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign struck an oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar region early Tuesday, June 16, and targeted Moscow’s largest oil refinery.
Exilenova+ reported that Moscow came under a drone attack and published videos allegedly showing the strikes. The channel claimed Lyutyi drones were involved in the raid and noted that despite dozens of UAVs in the sky, no air raid sirens were activated.
Monitors later claimed the refinery – described as heavily protected by dense air defense systems – was on fire. Sobyanin later confirmed that a drone strike had damaged the facility.
President Volodymyr Zelensky also commented on the strike, writing on social media:
“Ukrainian long-range capabilities were once again demonstrated in the Moscow region. An oil refinery located 500 kilometers away was damaged.”
Zelensky praised Ukraine’s Defense Forces for their effectiveness, saying Russia must continue to face pressure until its war against Ukraine is brought to an end.
According to preliminary data, the ELOU AVT-6 primary oil processing unit was damaged, and a fire broke out at the facility.
“The Moscow Refinery is involved in supplying the occupying army. The company’s products account for more than 38% of fuel consumption in the capital region. In particular, the plant supplies aviation fuel to Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky airports,” the Ukraine’s General Staff said in an official report.
Following the attack, Reuters reported that the refinery was shut down and completely halted crude processing. However, one source said the facility could resume operations at reduced capacity within the next few days.
Russia’s broader fuel situation also appears to be worsening. More than 25 Russian regions are reportedly facing fuel shortages, with gasoline sales restrictions emerging even in major cities such as Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
As The Moscow Times reported, citing Energy Intelligence analysts, Russian oil refining volumes fell below 4 million barrels per day in the first week of June – the lowest level in 21 years.
According to those estimates, nearly one-third of Russia’s refining capacity – around 2.14 million barrels per day – is currently offline due to Ukrainian drone strikes.
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