'Pure hell' in Moscow as Ukrainian drones strike major refinery supplying capital's fuel market

Ukraine launched 1 of its largest drone attacks connected Moscow since nan commencement of Russia’s full-scale invasion, striking a awesome lipid refinery successful nan Russian superior and sending heavy achromatic fume complete parts of nan city, according to Russian officials and aggregate reports.

The Moscow Oil Refinery successful Kapotnya — 1 of nan superior region’s cardinal substance accommodation — was deed overnight Thursday, marking nan 2nd reported onslaught connected nan tract successful 3 days. Videos circulating online showed ample flames and achromatic fume rising from nan facility, while Russian officials said aerial defenses intercepted waves of incoming drones.

Kyiv says its strikes heavy wrong Russia are grounds that it is turning nan tide of nan warfare — a connection President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took this week to President Donald Trump and different G7 leaders astatine a acme successful France. 

The latest strikes underscore a caller shape of nan war, pinch Ukraine progressively capable to deed high-value targets heavy wrong Russia while Moscow struggles to forestall drones from reaching politically delicate and economically important sites adjacent nan capital. 

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Smoke and flames emergence complete Moscow connected June 18, 2026, pursuing a Ukrainian drone onslaught that deed nan Kapotnya lipid refinery and different targets successful nan Russian capital. (East2West)

"This is axenic hell, I’ve ne'er felt specified terror," 1 Moscow resident said aft nan attack, according to East2West News. 

Another resident, according to nan outlet, asked: "Why won’t this madman extremity his crazy and pointless warfare and extremity nan decease and destruction?"

East2West besides reported that a dense information beingness was deployed astir nan Kremlin, pinch Red Square sealed disconnected and machine-gunners positioned connected towers, ramparts and adjacent Bolsheviks' laminitis Vladimir Lenin’s Mausoleum. 

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said aerial defenses changeable down much than 130 drones approaching nan city. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed much than 550 Ukrainian drones were intercepted overnight crossed respective regions, though battlefield claims from either broadside could not beryllium independently verified.

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The Moscow Oil Refinery successful Kapotnya burns aft being deed during Ukraine’s June 18, 2026, drone onslaught connected nan Russian capital. (East2West)

The onslaught disrupted regular life crossed Moscow, forcing impermanent formation suspensions astatine awesome airports and postulation restrictions adjacent nan refinery. Russian officials said debris besides fell adjacent nan Sadovod shopping center, damaging a building. The Moscow region politician said 16 group were injured successful nan broader attack.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha mocked nan disorder successful Moscow, penning connected X: "One of nan astir celebrated questions asked by Muscovites this greeting is ‘What is going on?’ I tin answer. Your state started a warfare of aggression against ours. For years, it has been sidesplitting our people. Now that you cognize what’s going on, inquire Putin erstwhile he is readying to extremity it."

The onslaught appeared to expose vulnerabilities successful Moscow’s heavy promoted aerial defense network, bringing nan warfare deeper into nan Russian superior moreover arsenic nan Kremlin continues its long-range rocket and drone attacks connected Ukrainian cities.

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Explosion seen complete Moscow aft Ukrainian drones struck nan Russian capital, including nan Kapotnya lipid refinery, connected June 18, 2026. (East2West)

The Kapotnya refinery is simply a strategically important target. A anterior Ukrainian drone strike damaged portion of nan refinery successful caller days, according to Reuters, and forced a halt successful immoderate operations. 

East2West reported that nan refinery supplies 40% of Moscow’s substance marketplace and 70% of nan surrounding region’s gasoline and aviation substance needs.

Ukraine progressively has targeted Russian power infrastructure successful an effort to undermine Moscow’s warfare instrumentality and summation nan home costs of nan warfare wrong Russia. Kyiv has described specified strikes arsenic portion of its run of "long-range sanctions" against Russia’s lipid and subject infrastructure.

The Moscow onslaught came arsenic President Vladimir Putin hosted leaders from nan 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc successful Kazan, Russia. Ukraine besides reportedly struck targets linked to Russia’s supply routes to occupied Crimea, including roadworthy and obstruction infrastructure. Ukrainian officials person many times said isolating Crimea is simply a cardinal subject nonsubjective arsenic Kyiv seeks to weaken Russia’s clasp connected nan peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed successful 2014.

Russia, meanwhile, continued its ain strikes connected Ukraine. Ukrainian officials reported Russian attacks connected energy and lipid accommodation successful nan Poltava region and adjacent Kyiv.

East2West reported that Russia was moving Tu-95MS strategical bombers crossed nan country, raising concerns that Moscow could beryllium preparing different awesome strike connected Ukraine successful nan coming days.

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Emergency services unit activity to extinguish a conveyance occurrence pursuing a Russian drone onslaught successful nan Kyiv region, Ukraine, connected May 5, 2026. (Ukrainian Emergency Service/AP)

Zelenskyy has said nan warfare could extremity if Putin agrees to genuine bid talks, while accusing Moscow of prolonging nan conflict and utilizing negotiations arsenic screen for continued attacks.

Reuters contributed to this report.