Russian Propagandists Call for Arrests Over Moscow Drone Videos

Russian propagandists have called for criminal prosecutions, arrests, and interrogations of Moscow residents who filmed and shared videos of a recent Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian capital.

According to The Moscow Times on Thursday, the demands came after what Russian officials described as the largest Ukrainian drone raid on Moscow since the start of the full-scale war.

Armen Gasparyan, a host on the state-affiliated Solovyov Live channel, urged Russian security services to open treason cases against Moscow residents who recorded footage of the attack.

Gasparyan said he had seen around 100 videos from Moscow circulating on Ukrainian Telegram channels during the strike and called on authorities to use facial recognition technology to identify those responsible.

He described the authors of the videos as “voluntary helpers” of the Ukrainian military and argued they should be arrested and interrogated.

State television presenter Vladimir Solovyov echoed the demand.

“Everyone who sends such footage should be put in prison,” Solovyov said, according to the report.

The comments came after a Ukrainian drone attack struck Moscow’s main oil refinery in Kapotnya, one of the capital’s most strategically important energy facilities, following another attack on the same site on Monday.

The refinery, located about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the Kremlin, supplies a significant share of Moscow’s fuel demand and was reportedly hit for the second time in a week.

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Ukraine Hits Crimean Railway Bridge, Fuel Depots in Major Strike on Russian Logistics

Ukraine launched a coordinated strike targeting critical Russian logistics, hitting two key bridges – including a railway bridge over the North Crimean Canal – along with the Moscow Oil Refinery, fuel depots, and command posts. The attacks disrupted supply routes used by Russian forces in occupied territories.

The attack triggered multiple fires and renewed debate in Russia about information control and the public sharing of images from military incidents.

Responses and previous attacks

President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukrainian long-range strikes hit Moscow’s main oil refinery, as well as targets in Russia’s Rostov region and occupied Ukrainian territories.

Zelensky called it a “fair response” to Russia’s escalating attacks on Ukrainian cities.

“This is a completely fair response to Russian strikes on our cities and communities, and another important result of our soldiers’ work against facilities that support the Russian war machine,” Zelensky said.

Earlier this week, Ukrainian drones also struck an oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar region.

Analysts say nearly one-third of Russia’s refining capacity – 2.14 million barrels per day – is now offline due to repeated Ukrainian strikes.

The attacks come as fuel shortages spread across more than 25 Russian regions.

On Tuesday, Tatneft, one of Russia’s largest oil companies, temporarily restricted gasoline and diesel sales nationwide.

Following similar measures, Rosneft reportedly capped purchases at 90 liters (24 gallons) per vehicle or container, while Lukoil limited sales to 100 liters (26 gallons) per transaction.

Kyiv has described the ongoing attacks against Russian oil infrastructure as “long-range sanctions” designed to undermine Moscow’s ability to finance its war against Ukraine.