by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
MOSCOW/KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks on Moscow since the war began, hitting a key oil refinery and other targets around the Russian capital, leaving at least one person dead and numerous others injured, Russian officials said.
The overnight assault disrupted air traffic around Moscow and came as Kyiv intensified its campaign against Russia’s energy infrastructure, with Russian authorities saying hundreds of drones targeted sites across the country.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on social media platform Telegram that at least 194 drones heading toward the capital were shot down within eight hours.
“Air defense forces continue to repel a massive attack,” Sobyanin wrote as the operation was still underway.
Russia’s Defense Ministry later said a total of 555 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted over various regions of the country. The figures could not be independently verified.
REFINERY HIT
Among the main reported targets was Gazprom Neft’s large oil refinery in Moscow’s southeastern Kapotnya district, a key fuel supplier for the capital region.
Sobyanin said several drones struck the area and that one damaged equipment at the facility. He said there were no fatalities at the refinery.
Videos reviewed by Worthy News appeared to show thick smoke rising above the complex and a large explosion involving fuel infrastructure. The refinery was reportedly targeted for the second time within a week.
The effects of the attack were also reported elsewhere around Moscow. Russian state news agency TASS said falling debris damaged an apartment building and a fitness center, while authorities in Zhukovsky, southeast of Moscow, reported damage to residential buildings.
Moscow region Governor Andrei Vorobyov later said at least 16 people were injured in the wider attack.
CASUALTIES REPORTED
Russian officials said the attacks killed at least one person and injured at least 18 others across the country, though the figures could not be independently verified.
Officials said the strikes extended far beyond the Moscow region, including areas near the Sea of Azov and other locations hundreds of miles from the capital.
In Russia’s Rostov region, Governor Yuri Slyusar said one civilian was killed, and two others were injured. He added that a train and several commercial facilities were also struck.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy defended the operation during a visit to Brussels, calling it a “fully justified response” to Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and communities.
“Last night, our long-range sanctions once again reached the Moscow region,” Zelenskyy said, referring to long-range strikes against Russian military and energy infrastructure.
ENERGY WAR
He thanked Ukraine’s military, intelligence, and security services for what he described as a coordinated operation and said the attacks demonstrated the growing reach and precision of Ukraine’s long-range weapons.
The latest strikes are part of an increasingly aggressive Ukrainian campaign against Russia’s energy infrastructure, including oil refineries, storage depots, pumping stations, export terminals, and logistical hubs.
Analysts say the strategy aims to reduce fuel supplies available to Russia’s military while increasing economic pressure on Moscow.
Reuters news agency reported that repeated attacks have disrupted a significant portion of Russia’s refining capacity, forcing authorities and energy companies to spend heavily on repairs, air defenses, and emergency measures to maintain fuel supplies.
Bloomberg News data cited by analysts suggest Russia has increased crude oil exports as refining capacity has been disrupted, although crude exports generally generate less revenue than refined products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet fuel.
The attacks underscore Kyiv’s growing ability to strike targets deep inside Russia as both sides continue to intensify long-range warfare more than four years after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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