Ukraine Launches Largest Drone Attack Yet on Moscow!

Oil refinery damaged and two people killed as hundreds of drones target the Russian capital on final day of parliamentary elections

MOSCOW / KYIV — 20 September 2026!

Ukraine has launched what Russian authorities described as the largest drone attack yet on Moscow and the surrounding region, killing at least two people and damaging a major oil refinery as Russia entered the final day of its parliamentary elections.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian air defences had intercepted more than 1,600 drones since Saturday, including around 450 heading towards Moscow. He described the attack as unprecedented and said several drones reached the territory of the Moscow Oil Refinery.

Russian authorities reported that two people were killed in the wider Moscow region. A 44-year-old woman died after a drone struck a residential building in Sofyino, while an elderly man was killed when a private house was hit in the Orekhovo-Zuyevo district. A separate strike also damaged a high-rise building in the Ramenskoye district, prompting the evacuation of about 400 residents, including 70 children.

Oil refinery hit

The Moscow Oil Refinery, a major fuel-processing facility southeast of the capital, was among the key sites affected.

Reuters reported that witnesses in Moscow heard explosions and saw smoke rising from the refinery. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear. The refinery processed approximately 11.6 million tonnes of crude oil in 2024, producing significant quantities of gasoline and diesel.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian long-range strikes had a significant impact in the Moscow region and targeted a key Russian oil-industry facility. Ukraine has not formally claimed responsibility for every reported strike.

Election day under attack

The strikes came as Russians went to the polls on the third and final day of parliamentary elections.

Sobyanin said the attack was intended to disrupt the election, but that claim has not been independently established. The Kremlin-backed electoral system has faced criticism from opposition figures and international observers over restrictions on political competition.

The election is the first parliamentary vote since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Airports impose restrictions

The drone barrage also disrupted aviation around Moscow.

Temporary restrictions were imposed at major airports, including Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo, during the overnight attacks. Restrictions were later lifted, although authorities warned passengers that some flights could remain delayed.

Ukraine reports deadly Russian strikes

While Moscow came under the large-scale drone assault, Russian strikes continued across Ukraine.

Ukrainian authorities said four civilians, including three children, were killed in overnight Russian drone attacks in the Kyiv region. A mother and her two young children were among those killed after a drone struck their home in the Fastiv area. Another child later died from injuries sustained in a separate attack.

Ukrainian officials also reported further Russian attacks in the Sumy and Kherson regions.

Energy infrastructure becomes a central target

The latest strikes underline the growing role of energy infrastructure in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian oil refineries and other energy facilities, while Russia continues to attack Ukrainian energy and transport infrastructure. Reuters reported that repeated Ukrainian strikes have reduced parts of Russia's refining capacity and contributed to fuel shortages and higher prices in some regions. (Reuters)

The attacks have continued despite recent statements from US President Donald Trump that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop targeting energy infrastructure.

Both Moscow and Kyiv maintain that they do not deliberately target civilians.

A widening long-range war

The latest escalation demonstrates how the war is increasingly extending beyond the battlefield. Long-range drones and missiles are being used to strike oil facilities, logistics centres, energy infrastructure and cities hundreds of kilometres from the front line.

With attacks continuing on both sides and critical infrastructure increasingly becoming a target, the conflict is creating consequences not only for military operations but also for civilian life, energy supplies and regional security.