Ukraine Launches Major Moscow Drone Attack – Ukraine launched what appears to be the largest drone attack on Moscow overnight into September 20, hitting the Russian capital city’s main oil refinery and disrupting flights at all four international airports serving the region. Russian officials confirmed that the strikes killed three people and injured 20 across the Moscow region.
The strikes also coincided with the final day of Russia’s three-day-long parliamentary election process, and come as Ukraine continues to escalate its attacks on Russian infrastructure supporting the war effort and the national economy.
Tu-95MS. Computer generated image. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Tu-95. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
According to Russian authorities, more than 1,600 drones were intercepted in a series of strikes that began on Saturday, September 19. 450 of those drones were heading toward Moscow.
In a statement, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that its forces destroyed 1,110 Ukrainian drones overnight in Russia and occupied Crimea.
Moscow Refinery Hit
Ukraine once again made headlines by striking major Russian oil infrastructure in its capital city region, with Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin describing the operation as an “unprecedented attack.”
He confirmed that several drones reached the Moscow Oil Refinery, where at least one facility has been damaged. The video footage shared online by locals also confirms the strikes, with several fires clearly burning across the facility. The images showed flames and dark plumes of smoke rising from the southeast Moscow refinery.
Reuters journalists in the city also reported hearing explosions and seeing smoke rising from the facility.
The refinery, operated by Gazprom Neft, is one of the largest in Russia and also one of its most strategically important fuel processing sites — and it’s not the first time it has been hit, either. In June 2026, Ukrainian drone strikes forced some operations at the Moscow Oil Refinery to shut down.
On Sunday, the Ukrainian military provided additional details about the strike, issuing a statement on social media describing how three parts of the Moscow Oil Refinery were damaged.
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the AVT-6 crude oil distillation unit, a combined oil processing unit, and an isomerization unit used to produce high-octane gasoline components were all hit.
The General Staff also said that a large fire had broken out at the refinery, which can process around 12 million metric tons of oil annually.
Ukraine Used Its Newest Long-Range Weapons
Having spent years dependent on Western missiles, Ukraine is now using its own domestically developed projectiles to strike at the heart of Russian operations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukrainian forces used Flamingo cruise missiles and Pelican weapons alongside long-range attack drones.
“Our long-range responses had a very significant impact in the Moscow region last night. One of Russia’s key oil industry facilities and the aggressor’s logistics facility were hit. These are billions of dollars that sustain the war machine. The systems used included FP-1, RZ-100, MICH-2000, Palianytsia, Vendetta, Liutyi, Bars, Flamingo, Sichen, and Pelican,” Zelenskyy said in a social media post.
“Moscow must end its brutal war and choose peace instead of building layered rings of air defense at the expense of other regions. Steps toward de-escalation are on the table – in energy and food security. What is needed is political will. I thank everyone who is strengthening Ukraine’s long-range capabilities. I am grateful to everyone who complements our long-range responses with responses through sanctions,” he continued.
Residential Buildings Hit
The attack caused extensive damage, including to residential buildings. Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, said that a 44-year-old woman was killed when a drone struck a three-story building in Sofyino, south of the capital.
Five others, including two children, were reportedly injured. An elderly man was killed after a private home was hit in the Orekhovo-Zuevo district, while a third victim subsequently died in a hospital from injuries sustained during the strikes.
Roughly 400 residents, including 70 children, were also evacuated in the Ramenskoye district after a drone hit a 21-story apartment building and ignited a fire. Russian authorities also said a major fire broke out at a residential building in Kotelniki.
Russia Goes to the Polls
The attacks came as Russians began the third day of their parliamentary elections – the first to take place since Moscow started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022. Sobyanin accused Kyiv of attempting to disrupt the voting process, and reports of cyberattacks against Russian electronic systems were also made public.
The chair of the Central Election Commission, Ella Pamfilova, claimed that the disruption had not prevented people from voting and that turnout was approaching 57% by Sunday evening.
President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party is expected to retain control of parliament, despite widespread dissatisfaction with the state of the war.
The results of the election are expected to be released by Sunday evening, with the full tally due by Monday, September 21.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, and he produces and edits analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at 19FortyFive and National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
