Ukraine Pounds Moscow Oil Refinery As Major Drone Attack Grounds Russian Flights [WATCH]

Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks of the war overnight Thursday, striking a major oil refinery in Moscow and disrupting commercial air traffic across the Russian capital, according to Ukrainian and Russian officials, as reported by the New York Post.

The attack targeted the Moscow Oil Refinery on the southeastern outskirts of the city and marked the second reported strike against the facility within a week.

Fires and large plumes of smoke were seen rising from the area after drones penetrated Russian air defenses.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the operation on X and said additional targets were hit beyond Moscow.

“Last night, our long-range sanctions once again reached the Moscow region – for the second time this week, the Moscow oil refinery was hit,” Zelensky wrote on X.

“Targets were also struck in the Rostov region and in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.”

Last night, our long-range sanctions once again reached the Moscow region – for the second time this week, the Moscow oil refinery was hit. Targets were also struck in the Rostov region and in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. This is a fully justified response to… pic.twitter.com/NhFl4FlT9L

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 18, 2026

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that several drones struck the refinery. The Russian Transport Ministry said operations at four Moscow-area airports were temporarily suspended during the attack.

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The strikes occurred while Russian President Vladimir Putin was hosting members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Kazan, located roughly 430 miles east of Moscow.

Videos shared online appeared to show explosions and fires in multiple locations. One video released by Zelensky showed what appeared to be a large tank cover being propelled into the air following an explosion.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its forces shot down 555 Ukrainian drones and intercepted another 200 drones that were targeting Moscow. Russian officials did not immediately specify how many drones successfully reached their intended targets.

The overnight operation ranks among the largest drone attacks carried out by Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Zelensky said the strikes were a response to a Russian attack earlier this week on a monastery in Kyiv that Ukrainian officials said killed at least 10 people.

“This is a fully justified response to Russian attacks on our cities and communities, and another important result of our warriors’ work against facilities that sustain Russia’s war machine,” Zelensky said on X.

The Ukrainian leader also indicated that similar operations could continue if Russian attacks persist.

“We don’t want this war, we never did, and everyone knows it, and our partners know it,” Zelensky told reporters Thursday. “But if Ukraine burns, your Moscow will burn.”

‘If Ukraine burns, so will Moscow,’ Zelenskyy says after refinery fire https://t.co/7qMlo6U0tD

— euronews (@euronews) June 18, 2026

Despite the escalation, Zelensky renewed calls for diplomacy and urged Russia to negotiate an end to the conflict.

“In recent days, all of our partners have noted the precision and effectiveness of our mid-range strikes and long-range sanctions. It is time the war ended, and Russia must take the necessary steps in diplomacy,” he said.

The attack came shortly after Zelensky returned from the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, where he met with several European leaders and President Donald Trump.

According to Zelensky, he had held “an important coordination call” involving Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron that could “bring about significant change.”

Trump later said Russia should move toward a negotiated settlement.

“Russia should make a deal. Russia has lost tremendous amounts of people. So has Ukraine,” Trump said.

Trump, Zelensky and Macron reportedly met for approximately one hour near the conclusion of the summit to discuss the war and potential paths toward ending the conflict.

Following those discussions, Zelensky said, “We had unanimity that Russia is not winning,” adding that Trump “was very positive that he can help us more on missiles.”

Trump also indicated he would consider reinstating sanctions on Russia, while Zelensky urged him to help arrange peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow before winter.

The Kremlin responded critically to the discussions. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov suggested European leaders had influenced Trump’s position during the summit.

“One can presume that Trump was pumped with … harmful ideas. We understand that the Europeans are exercising an unhelpful influence here,” Ushakov told Russian state television.

Ushakov also argued that Thursday’s drone strike could further complicate prospects for a future meeting between Zelensky and Putin as both sides continue exchanging long-range attacks while diplomatic efforts remain uncertain.

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