Dozens of Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow overnight, damaging a major oil refinery and disrupting air traffic across the Russian capital, according to city officials.
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Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said one drone struck a facility at the Moscow Refinery in the southeastern Kapotnya district. He said there were no casualties and emergency crews were working at the site.
Videos circulating on social media appeared to show flames and thick black smoke rising from the Gazprom-owned refinery, one of the largest fuel-processing facilities serving the Russian capital.
Drone Campaign Intensifies
The attack marked the ninth consecutive day of Ukrainian drone strikes on Moscow, according to statements issued by Sobyanin.
Ukraine has increasingly expanded its long-range drone campaign against targets deep inside Russia, a strategy Kyiv has described as "long-range sanctions." The number of drones reportedly intercepted around Moscow on Tuesday was the highest recorded by the mayor since mid-May.
Sobyanin said Russian forces have shot down 1,134 Ukrainian drones heading toward Moscow so far this year, surpassing the 734 interceptions he reported for all of 2025.
Kyiv Says Strikes Are a Response to Russian Attacks
The latest strike followed a major Russian attack on Kyiv a day earlier that killed at least five people and damaged a historic cathedral.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared footage that he said showed the burning Moscow refinery, describing the attack as part of Ukraine's long-range strike campaign.
"Russia must be compelled to end the war against our people," Zelenskyy said, calling the operation a response to continuing Russian attacks and the prolongation of the conflict.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Counter-Disinformation Center, said the refinery processes around 11 million tonnes of oil annually and supplies roughly 40% of Moscow's gasoline demand. He argued the strike demonstrated the limits of Russia's air-defence network despite extensive protection around the capital.
Airports Face Restrictions
Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces destroyed at least 172 Ukrainian drones overnight across the country, with the Moscow attack forming part of a broader wave of strikes.
Russia's aviation authority imposed temporary flight restrictions at more than a dozen airports, including all four of Moscow's international hubs: Sheremetyevo International Airport, Domodedovo International Airport, Vnukovo International Airport and Zhukovsky International Airport.
Other affected airports stretched from Sochi on the Black Sea coast to Nizhnekamsk in the republic of Tatarstan.
Russia and Ukraine Continue Long-Range Strikes
Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 132 drones and two missiles overnight. It said 114 drones were intercepted or suppressed, while both missiles and 16 drones struck targets at nine locations.
The latest exchanges came as Zelenskyy met Western leaders, including US President Donald Trump, at the G7 summit in France.
Ahead of the gathering, Zelenskyy said he would again urge Ukraine's allies to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end Moscow's invasion.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 16 June 2026