Ukraine drones hit Moscow refinery again, forcing airport shutdowns

Kyiv,UPDATED: Jun 18, 2026 18:00 IST

Ukraine hit a major oil refinery in Moscow for the second time in a week and disrupted commercial flights at the city’s airports in one of its biggest drone attacks since Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour more than four years ago, Russian officials said on Thursday.

The attack came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had held “an important coordination call” with the presidents of the United States and France and won key pledges of further support at this week’s G7 summit. He was expected in Brussels later on Thursday for talks with NATO and European Union leaders, including discussions on a possible continental system to protect against ballistic missiles, which Russia has repeatedly used against Ukraine.

Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russia’s oil facilities in an effort to cut Moscow’s war revenue and make Russians feel the effects of the invasion. Some areas in Russia have reported fuel shortages. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X: “One of the most popular questions asked by Muscovites this morning is What is going on?’ I can answer. Your country started a war of aggression against ours. For years, it has been killing our people. Now that you know what's going on, ask Putin when he is planning to end it.”

Images and video released by Russian media showed large fires at the Moscow Oil Refinery, about 15 kilometres from the Kremlin, with thick black smoke rising over the city. According to its official website, the refinery is one of Russia’s biggest and produces more than a third of the Moscow region’s fuel. It was last attacked by Ukrainian drones on Tuesday, when it caught fire, though officials said the blaze was quickly put out.

Flights from four Moscow airports were temporarily halted, according to transport and aviation authorities. In the Moscow region, which surrounds but does not include the capital, a drone hit a residential building in the town of Zhukovsky and the building was being evacuated, Governor Andrei Vorobyov said. He added that buildings elsewhere in the region were damaged by drone debris and 16 people, including two children, were wounded.

The Russian Defence Ministry said air defences shot down 555 Ukrainian drones overnight across multiple regions, including almost 200 as they approached Moscow. The Ukrainian air force said that was roughly double the number of drones Russia launched at Ukraine overnight.

The latest strike followed a Ukrainian drone attack earlier this month on St Petersburg, Putin’s hometown, during a major economic forum attended by foreign visitors. On Thursday, Putin was in Kazan, about 700 kilometres east of Moscow, hosting leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as Russia seeks to strengthen business and other ties with the bloc.

Zelenskyy said the attack on Moscow was part of Ukraine’s effort to force Putin to the negotiating table. He said he had accepted an unconditional ceasefire demanded by Trump, but Putin had refused, while US-led peace efforts had stalled. “If Putin does not want to end this war and wants to continue it, we will not sit quietly - we will respond,” Zelenskyy said in a voice message to a group chat with journalists.

Alongside fresh diplomatic and military pledges at the G7 summit, Ukraine has recently gained momentum on the battlefield against Russia’s larger army, according to Western officials and analysts, helped by its high-tech drones. Longer-range drone strikes are also disrupting Russian supply lines in occupied parts of Ukraine and affecting Russian oil production. French President Emmanuel Macron said the G7 summit was “very important for Ukraine” because its supporters, including the United States, had pledged help, though he gave no details. The US under Trump has cut back assistance to Ukraine, leaving European countries as the biggest suppliers of military and financial aid, and Trump and Zelenskyy have at times had a strained relationship. “America is with us on Ukraine, that is very important,” Macron told reporters as he and Trump left the Palace of Versailles near Paris.

In summary, the overnight drone attack brought fires to a key Moscow refinery, disrupted flights and caused injuries in the surrounding region, while Ukraine linked the strike to its wider effort to increase pressure on Russia as it seeks more military and diplomatic backing from its Western partners.

With PTI Inputs

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