Ukrainian Drones and Missiles Target Moscow Refinery
Cyberzenhub.com – Ukrainian drones and missiles target Moscow and surrounding areas in a large overnight operation that struck near the Russian capital, including the Moscow Oil Refinery, according to Russian and Ukrainian officials. The attack also damaged residential properties, disrupted flights and caused casualties across the wider Moscow region.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin called the assault unprecedented, saying 450 Ukrainian drones were destroyed while approaching the capital from Saturday night into Sunday. He said several drones reached the grounds of the Moscow Oil Refinery, while another hit a residential building.
“Several drones did reach the territory of the Moscow Oil Refinery, and one hit a residential building. There were no fatalities,” Sobyanin said.
Sobyanin said the attack appeared intended to disrupt Russia’s parliamentary elections, with voting scheduled to conclude Sunday.
Refinery attack draws attention to energy infrastructure
The Gazprom-MNPZ Moscow Oil Refinery, southeast of the city, is operated by state-owned energy company Gazprom. It has an annual processing capacity of about 11 million tons of oil and is one of Russia’s largest refining facilities.
The site supplies fuel to the capital and is an important part of the infrastructure serving one of Russia’s largest population and economic centers. Ukrainian drones and missiles target such facilities as Kyiv seeks to affect assets connected to Russia’s war effort.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Counter-Disinformation Center under the National Security and Defense Council, said a “major incident is occurring” at the refinery. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the long-range operation had produced a significant effect in the Moscow region.
Zelenskyy described the refinery as an important Russian oil-sector facility that contributes billions of dollars to the country’s war effort. He said Ukraine used several types of long-range weapons, including the domestically produced Flamingo cruise missile and Pelican ballistic missile.
“Moscow must end its brutal war and choose peace instead of building layered rings of air defense at the expense of other regions,” Zelenskyy said.
Fire Point, the Ukrainian manufacturer of the two weapons and other long-range systems, said its FP-1 drones participated in the refinery attack. The Pelican missile appeared to have been used in an attack inside Russia for the first time.
Deaths, injuries and evacuations reported near Moscow
The operation affected several communities outside Moscow proper. Moscow region Governor Andrey Vorobyov said one person was killed and five others were wounded when a drone struck an apartment building in Sofino, southwest of the capital.
A second person died in the Orekhovo-Zuevsky area east of Moscow, while another person was injured in the Leninsky district south of the city. Vorobyov said 20 people were injured in total during the attacks.
Fires were reported at homes and commercial sites. In the Ramensky district, a fire at an apartment building led to the evacuation of 400 people and damaged 20 vehicles. Vorobyov also reported a warehouse fire in Sofino and a major blaze at an apartment building in Kotelniki.
The widespread incidents showed the pressure created when Ukrainian drones and missiles target areas far from the front line. Moscow and nearby towns have extensive air defenses, but the scale of the overnight operation affected multiple locations.
Airport restrictions lifted after overnight alerts
Russia temporarily restricted flights at Moscow’s four international airports: Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Zhukovsky and Sheremetyevo. The restrictions were lifted Sunday morning after air-defense activity in the region.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces destroyed 1,110 Ukrainian drones overnight, the largest single-night total it has publicly announced. That number included operations beyond Moscow and reflected the broader scale of the attack.
Ukraine also reported facing an aerial assault during the same period. Its air force said Russia launched 138 drones overnight, with 101 intercepted or otherwise neutralized. Ukraine said roughly half of the Russian drones were jet-powered and that impacts were recorded at 17 locations.
FAQ: Moscow Drone and Missile Attack
What was targeted in the Moscow region?
Officials said the operation included the Moscow Oil Refinery, residential buildings and other locations across the Moscow region. Ukrainian drones and missiles target infrastructure and military-linked assets as part of the continuing long-range conflict.
Were Moscow airports closed?
All four of Moscow’s international airports faced temporary overnight flight restrictions. Authorities lifted the measures Sunday morning.
How many casualties were reported?
Moscow region officials reported two deaths and said 20 people were injured during the attacks across the region.
