International

Moscow refinery catches fire in massive drone attack

A massive overnight Ukrainian drone strike ignited a major fire at the Moscow Oil Refinery and struck residential buildings in the capital region, local officials said on Sunday.

Critical Refinery Under Fire

Videos and images verified across social media platforms overnight on September 20 showed extensive flames engulfing parts of the facility in Moscow’s southeastern Kapotnya district. Initial assessments suggest that the strike damaged the primary ELOU-AVT-6 crude distillation unit.

The Moscow Oil Refinery is among Russia’s largest processing hubs, with an operational refining capacity of approximately 11 million metric tons of crude oil per year. The plant supplies roughly 40% of the capital's gasoline and diesel needs.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defense units shot down 450 drones near the capital. Sobyanin claimed that several drones crashed into the refinery grounds and another hit a residential building, though he asserted that no casualties occurred inside Moscow city boundaries. He also alleged the attack aimed to disrupt Russian elections, offering no supporting evidence.

Civilian Casualties and Evacuations

Across the wider Moscow region, falling drones and debris inflicted civilian casualties and residential damage, according to regional governor Andrei Vorobyov. In the village of Sofiino, a strike on an apartment block killed a woman and injured five other residents, including two children.

In Ramenskoye, wreckage triggered a fire on the upper roof of a 21-story residential tower, prompting emergency teams to evacuate approximately 400 people. A separate drone impact killed a man in another regional district after hitting a private residence.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that air defenses intercepted and destroyed 1,110 Ukrainian drones overnight across several Russian territories, occupied Crimea, and the Black Sea.

Kyiv Expands Long-Range Strategy

The barrage comes as Kyiv steps up asymmetric attacks against Russian industrial assets and logistics networks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed on Saturday that additional deep-strike missions had been authorized.

“I also approved new long-range operations in response to Russian strikes. We are preparing to expand our long-range capabilities,” said Zelenskiy.

Translation by Iurie Tataru

RELATED COVERAGE

• Ukrainian drone attack sparks fires at Rosneft refinery in Tuapse; two dead
• Ukrainian drones damage Russian oil refineries
• Russia launches 236 drones across Ukraine in massive overnight attack
• Russia launches massive drone strike on Ukraine, killing four
• Ukraine launches drone attacks on Russia, inflicting damage to aircraft and disrupting air traffic

X