Ukraine launched its largest Moscow attack in two years overnight into Thursday, damaging an oil refinery, sparking fires and forcing airport suspensions, Russian state media and officials said.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defences shot down at least 194 drones bound for the Russian capital. The Russian Ministry of Defence said air defences intercepted 555 drones across Russia, including over the Sea of Azov.
Reuters reported that flights at all major Moscow airports stopped temporarily on Thursday. The Russian state-run news agency TASS said debris from a downed plane damaged an apartment building and a fitness centre in Moscow. It also reported fires and falling debris across the region.
The Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotnya, southeastern Moscow, was among the targets. The same refinery had also sustained damage in a Ukrainian strike on Tuesday.
WATCH: Ukraine has attacked the Moscow Refinery, one of Russia's largest oil refineries, with drones. pic.twitter.com/DQgCe7cFm8
— Conflict Radar (@Conflict_Radar) June 18, 2026CNN said geolocated video showed smoke above the refinery and a blast near a fuel tank. Another plume of smoke rose near the Sadovod trade centre, which calls itself Russia’s largest mall.
Ukraine’s General Staff said another oil depot in Russia’s Rostov region was struck. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the strikes a justified response to Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and communities.
Russia also attacked Ukraine with seven missiles and 239 drones, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. Ukrainian and Russian authorities said the strikes hit a private home, energy infrastructure, a hangar and oil facilities in the Kyiv and Poltava regions.
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The attack came as Zelensky met North Atlantic Treaty Organisation leaders in Brussels. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said allies were discussing missile interceptors and weapons systems for Ukraine.
Rutte said Ukraine was performing well and cited Russian losses at 30,000 to 35,000 a month. He said NATO allies were working to ensure Ukraine had what it needed.
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said NATO had become more capable of handling Europe’s conventional defence. He said some countries had stepped up commitments, while others still needed to do more.
