Ukraine’s Largest Drone Assault Targets Moscow and Russian Energy Sites

Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones at targets across Russia overnight, in what Moscow's mayor described as the largest-ever attack on the Russian capital. Russia's Ministry of Defence said its forces destroyed 1,100 Ukrainian drones across Russia, Crimea and the Black Sea. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 450 drones were intercepted while approaching Moscow, but an oil refinery and residential buildings were damaged. The attacks killed two people in the Moscow region and two more in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine's Kherson region, including an election official. Russia's Central Election Commission said a drone strike on a civilian bus caused two of the deaths. In Sofyino, south of Moscow, a residential building was damaged, while 400 people—including 70 children—were evacuated from a 21-storey apartment block in the Ramenskoye district. Other homes were also damaged. The Moscow refinery, a major Russian oil facility, was struck. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the facility was important to Russia's war logistics and that the damage would affect the resources supporting the war. The refinery processed 11.6 million metric tons of oil in 2024, including large volumes of gasoline and diesel. The article notes that previous Ukrainian attacks have reduced Russian refining capacity, contributing to fuel shortages, higher prices and long queues at filling stations. The attack occurred on the final day of Russia's first wartime parliamentary election. Mr Sobyanin said the strikes were intended to disrupt voting but failed. Russia was also holding elections in occupied Ukrainian territories and Crimea, actions Kyiv has condemned as illegal. The election was expected to reinforce the Kremlin's political dominance, with little meaningful opposition to President Vladimir Putin's policies.

The Al Jazeera NewsFeed video report, published on 20 September 2026, describes a large-scale drone attack on Moscow that Russian authorities attribute to Ukraine. The headline states that more than 1,000 Ukrainian drones targeted the Russian capital, while the accompanying text gives a higher figure, saying that more than 1,600 drones were launched from Ukraine. The report includes footage showing a drone exploding as it strikes an apartment building in Moscow. According to Russian authorities, the attacks killed at least two people and caused damage to a major refinery. The supplied article does not identify the victims, specify the refinery, or provide further details about the extent of the damage. It also does not include a statement from Ukrainian officials or independent verification of the Russian claims. As presented, the report focuses on the immediate visual impact of the incident and the scale of the alleged drone barrage rather than offering a broader military or political analysis. The story is framed as a breaking-news update within the Russia-Ukraine war. Its emphasis on the number of drones, the explosion at a residential building, deaths, and damage to critical infrastructure conveys the seriousness of the attack. The wording remains primarily factual and attribution-based, making clear that the casualty and launch figures come from Russian authorities. The report’s main purpose is to inform viewers about the reported attack and show footage of one of its apparent impacts.

Ukraine launched what Moscow officials described as the largest drone assault on the Moscow region, with Mayor Sergei Sobyanin saying 450 drones aimed at the capital were intercepted. The attacks struck or damaged a residential building, a warehouse and Moscow’s main oil refinery, where Ukrainian officials said three important units were hit. The refinery supplies more than a third of the Moscow region’s fuel, including products used by Russia’s military, according to Ukraine’s defence ministry. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the operation targeted a key oil facility and a logistics site, describing them as sources of billions of dollars supporting Russia’s war effort. At least two people were killed and 20 injured in the Moscow region. A woman died in Sofyino when a drone hit a residential building, while an elderly man was killed when a private house was struck in Orekhovo-Zuevo. Moscow’s Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo airports temporarily restricted or halted flights, causing potential delays. Sobyanin accused Ukraine of attempting to disrupt Russia’s parliamentary election, which was taking place under tight Kremlin control. Russian state media also reported that an election official was among two people killed in a drone attack on a bus in Russian-controlled Kherson. The strikes occurred amid a broader escalation in attacks on energy, transport and logistics infrastructure. Ukrainian officials said Russian attacks killed nine people, including three children, in the Kyiv and Sumy regions. Victims included a mother and her two children in Fastiv, four people killed when a drone struck a car in Sumy, and a member of the clergy killed in an attack on a monastery in Kherson. The escalation continued despite US President Donald Trump’s claim that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop targeting energy infrastructure. Trump also signed legislation authorizing tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil and gas. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones at targets across Russia overnight, including hundreds directed toward Moscow, according to Russian and regional officials. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called the assault the largest or “unprecedented” drone attack on the Russian capital. He said 450 drones were destroyed while flying toward Moscow, but that an oil refinery and a residential building were damaged. Andrei Vorobyov, governor of the wider Moscow region, reported that two people were killed and 20 wounded. The victims were identified as a 74-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman. Ukraine had not immediately commented on the reported attack. The strikes occurred as Russia was concluding the third and final day of parliamentary elections. Sobyanin said the attack was intended to disrupt voting, but claimed that the effort had failed. The election was described as Russia’s first wartime parliamentary vote and was expected to reinforce President Vladimir Putin’s political dominance, with little meaningful opposition. Russia also conducted voting in occupied parts of four Ukrainian regions and in Crimea, territory that Ukraine and much of the international community regard as illegally annexed by Russia. Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces had shot down 1,100 Ukrainian drones over Russia, Crimea and the Black Sea. The report did not independently verify the competing claims or specify how many drones reached their intended targets. The article also places the attack within the broader drone war. Russian drones have increasingly targeted Ukrainian trains and infrastructure, while jet-powered Russian drones remain a major threat to Ukraine. A related video describes one such drone crashing into a backyard near Kyiv. The overnight assault represents a significant escalation in Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign against targets inside Russia, particularly around the capital.

Ukrainian forces launched more than 1,000 drones and several types of missiles at targets across Russia, including hundreds directed toward Moscow, according to officials. Russia’s Ministry of Defense said it destroyed 1,110 Ukrainian drones over Russia, Crimea, and the Black Sea. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 450 drones were intercepted on their way to the capital, describing the assault as the largest and most unprecedented attack on Moscow. The strikes damaged the Moscow Oil Refinery and a residential building. In the wider Moscow region, two people were killed and 20 wounded, according to regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the operation used domestically produced Flamingo and Pelican missiles as well as drones to strike oil and logistics facilities. He said the attacks were intended to impose financial pressure on Russia’s war effort. The assault occurred as Russia concluded a parliamentary election that was largely free of meaningful opposition and included voting in Ukrainian territories illegally annexed by Moscow. The article also describes continued Russian attacks on Ukraine. A strike on a monastery in the Kherson region killed a member of the clergy and wounded four people. Another attack on Kyiv killed two children and their mother, while an additional wounded child later died in hospital. The developments came amid increased U.S. pressure and diplomatic activity. The State Department approved a potential $2.68 billion sale of air-defense equipment to Ukraine, while President Trump signed legislation imposing new sanctions on Russia. Trump and Zelenskyy also agreed to meet in New York. Zelenskyy said the meeting could address de-escalation, energy and food security, and civilian protection. The article places the attacks within an escalating long-range drone conflict. Ukraine has developed advanced domestically produced drones to strike deep inside Russia, while fighting along the front line has slowed because of widespread drone and ground-robot use. Kyiv hopes such attacks will make the war more visible to Russian civilians and pressure President Vladimir Putin toward negotiations, although Putin has shown no indication that he plans to end the invasion.

Two people were killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Moscow region, according to local authorities. An oil refinery near Moscow was also struck, although the extent of the damage has not been confirmed. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said Russian forces had intercepted more than 1,600 drones since Saturday, including approximately 450 directed at the capital. He described the attack as one of the largest against Moscow since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the refinery strike had a “very significant impact,” arguing that oil revenues help finance Russia’s war effort. He called on Moscow to end the war rather than expand its air-defense systems at the expense of other Russian regions. Energy infrastructure has been repeatedly targeted by both sides despite reported claims that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to halt such attacks. Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries have contributed to fuel shortages and higher prices in Russia, according to the article. Sobyanin accused Ukraine of planning the assault to disrupt Russia’s three-day parliamentary election, whose final day coincided with the attack. He said drones also struck an apartment building. Separately, Russia’s state news agency reported that a drone attack on a bus in the Russian-occupied Kherson region killed two people, including an election official. The article also reports deadly Russian attacks in Ukraine. Four people were killed in the Kyiv region, including a mother and her two 3-year-old children, while another girl later died in hospital. Residential and industrial buildings were damaged in the Fastiv district. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had struck a Fire Point facility, as well as a cargo ship and postal logistics center in Odesa that it claimed were being used for military shipments. Russian drone attacks on Kyiv have continued in recent weeks.

Ukrainian forces carried out what Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin described as the largest-scale attack on the Russian capital since the war began. Sobyanin said Russian air defences had intercepted more than 1,600 drones across Russia since Saturday, including approximately 450 that were reportedly heading toward Moscow. He said several drones reached the Moscow refinery and that one struck a residential building, although no fatalities were reported in the capital. Andrey Vorobyov, governor of the wider Moscow Oblast, reported two deaths in attacks across the region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine had targeted the Moscow region. He said the strikes hit a key oil-industry facility and a logistics facility, and involved FP-1 attack drones, Palianytsia missiles and other weapons. Zelenskyy described the operation as having a significant impact and argued that Moscow should end its war against Ukraine rather than expand air-defence systems at the expense of other Russian regions. The article also reports casualties from Russian attacks on Ukraine. A child died in hospital after being injured in a strike on Kyiv region’s Vyshhorod district, bringing the reported death toll from that attack to four. Authorities said 31 structures had been damaged across five districts. Separately, a 71-year-old priest was killed in a drone attack on a monastery in Chervonyi Mayak, in the southern Kherson region, while four other people were reportedly injured. Zelenskyy said Russia had launched more than 2,000 attack drones, 1,700 aerial bombs and 19 missiles against Ukraine during the week. The article presents claims from both sides, while emphasizing the scale of the strikes and their civilian consequences.

Ukraine launched a large-scale barrage of missiles and drones against Russia during the final day of Russia’s parliamentary elections. Russian officials described the operation as the largest drone attack of the war, reporting that 1,110 Ukrainian drones were intercepted across Russia, Crimea, and the Black Sea, including about 450 headed toward Moscow. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the attack damaged the Moscow Oil Refinery and a residential building, while regional Gov. Andrei Vorobyov reported two deaths and 20 injuries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the strikes targeted a major Russian oil-industry enterprise and a logistics facility, arguing that these sites generate revenue supporting Russia’s war effort. He portrayed the operation as retaliation for Russian attacks on Ukraine and called on the United States, Europe, and the G7 to impose additional sanctions. Zelenskyy said Russia had launched more than 2,000 attack drones, 1,700 aerial bombs, and 19 missiles against Ukraine during the same week. Russian authorities accused Kyiv of attempting to disrupt the elections, including voting in occupied Ukrainian territories and Crimea. Sobyanin said the attack failed to prevent the election from proceeding, while President Vladimir Putin cited an earlier strike that allegedly killed an election official in Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia. The article notes that the election was held with little opposition to Putin’s policies and in territories whose annexation by Russia is internationally disputed. The report also describes continuing Russian attacks on Ukraine, including a strike on a monastery in Kherson that allegedly killed a member of the clergy and wounded four people, and an attack on Kyiv that killed three children and their mother. The supplied article ends before Reuters’ independent verification of the claims is completed.

France 24 reports that Ukraine launched a major drone offensive against Russia while Russian voters were participating in the third and final day of the country’s first wartime parliamentary election. Moscow described the operation as the “largest ever” drone attack against the Russian capital. Ukrainian forces reportedly fired more than 1,000 drones across Russia, according to the report. The strikes killed two people in the Moscow region and damaged an oil refinery, highlighting the continuing vulnerability of Russian infrastructure during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The attack occurred at a politically significant moment, as Russia was holding parliamentary elections under wartime conditions. Although the article provides limited operational detail, it frames the drone assault as a significant escalation in the use of long-range unmanned systems against targets inside Russia. The reported damage to an oil refinery is particularly important because energy infrastructure is central to Russia’s economy and has been a recurring target in the conflict. The report is presented from Kyiv by France 24 correspondent Gulliver Cragg. It relies primarily on Moscow’s characterization of the scale of the attack and states that Ukraine “reportedly” launched the drones, maintaining some attributional caution. The article also identifies the incident as part of the broader confrontation between Ukraine and Russia, involving military strikes, energy infrastructure and the political consequences of the war. The available text does not include a detailed Ukrainian response, independent verification of the drone count, or a full account of the refinery damage.

Ukrainian forces launched more than 1,000 drones at targets across Russia overnight, including hundreds directed toward Moscow, according to Russian and Ukrainian officials. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called the assault the largest and most unprecedented attack on the capital, reporting damage to the Moscow Oil Refinery and a residential building. In the broader Moscow region, two people were killed and 20 wounded, according to regional Gov. Andrei Vorobyov. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the operation used domestically produced Flamingo and Pelican missiles as well as drones to strike Russian oil and logistics facilities. He argued that attacks on those facilities could impose billions of dollars in costs on the Russian war effort. Russia’s Ministry of Defense said it had destroyed 1,100 Ukrainian drones across the country, including over Crimea and the Black Sea, while Sobyanin said 450 drones had been intercepted on their way to Moscow. He characterized the attack as an attempt to disrupt Russia’s parliamentary elections, though he said that effort had failed. The strikes took place as Russia concluded the third and final day of a wartime parliamentary election. The vote, which is expected to reinforce President Vladimir Putin’s political dominance, was also held in Ukrainian territories illegally annexed by Russia, including Crimea. Kyiv has condemned the voting as illegitimate. The article places the attack within a broader escalation of long-range aerial strikes. Ukraine has developed sophisticated domestic drone technology and increasingly uses long-range drones and missiles to attack targets deep inside Russia. Kyiv hopes to make the war more visible to Russian civilians and pressure Putin to negotiate, but he has shown no intention of ending the invasion. Meanwhile, ground fighting along the roughly 1,250-kilometer front line has slowed as drones and ground robots make troop movements increasingly dangerous.

Ukrainian forces launched more than 1,000 drones at targets across Russia overnight, including hundreds directed toward Moscow, according to Russian officials. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called the assault the largest and most unprecedented drone attack ever against the Russian capital. He said approximately 450 drones were destroyed while approaching Moscow, but strikes damaged the Moscow Oil Refinery and a residential building. The attack killed two people and wounded 20 others in the broader Moscow region, according to regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov. The victims were identified as a 74-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman. Images and video from the scene showed fires, smoke, damaged buildings and emergency responders near a victim in the Ramensky district. Ukraine did not immediately comment on the reported attack. The strikes occurred as Russia concluded the third and final day of parliamentary elections. The vote was described as Russia’s first wartime parliamentary election and was widely expected to reinforce President Vladimir Putin’s political dominance, with little meaningful opposition. Sobyanin said the attack was intended to disrupt the elections but claimed that “the enemy failed in this regard.” Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces had shot down 1,100 Ukrainian drones across the country, including over Crimea and the Black Sea. Voting was also held in four Ukrainian regions occupied and illegally annexed by Moscow after the war began, as well as in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Kyiv denounced those elections as illegal. The article presents the casualty and damage figures as statements from Russian authorities and notes that there was no immediate Ukrainian response.

Ukraine reportedly used its newly developed FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile during a large overnight assault on Moscow and Russian energy infrastructure. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones alongside the long-range missiles, describing the operation as a significant strike against Russia’s war-sustaining economy. The Flamingo, designed and largely manufactured in Ukraine by defense startup Fire Point, reportedly has a range of nearly 2,000 miles and is described in the article as more powerful and longer-ranging than the US Tomahawk cruise missile. The attack caused major fires and dark smoke at the Gazpromneft-Moscow Oil Refinery, a facility that reportedly produces approximately 11.6 million tons of oil annually. Zelensky said the strikes also hit a Russian logistics facility and argued that damage to the oil sector could deprive Moscow of billions of dollars used to support its military campaign. Ukraine had previously used the missile against the Kremlin-owned Votkinsk machine plant, approximately 860 miles inside Russian territory. The Flamingo was unveiled as being in production in August 2025. Its name reportedly refers to the pink color seen during prototype testing. Ukraine also deployed the shorter-range Pelican ballistic missile, which is intended to travel faster and overwhelm Russian air defenses, allowing longer-range weapons to reach their targets. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called the assault the largest against the capital since the war began. Regional governor Andrei Vorobyov reported at least two deaths and 20 injuries across the wider Moscow region. Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries have reportedly contributed to fuel shortages, higher prices, and long lines at gas stations. The strike also coincided with voting in five Ukrainian regions occupied by Russia, including Crimea, prompting Sobyanin to accuse Kyiv of trying to disrupt the elections.

Ukraine carried out a large drone assault targeting Moscow and surrounding areas on Sunday, the final day of Russia’s parliamentary election. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described it as the largest drone attack ever directed at the Russian capital and said it was an unsuccessful attempt to disrupt the vote, which President Vladimir Putin has presented as a test of public support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. According to Sobyanin and Russian election authorities, the strikes killed two people in the Moscow region. Two additional people were reportedly killed in the Russian-held part of Ukraine’s Kherson region, including an election official. The article does not provide an account from Ukrainian authorities. A facility at Moscow’s oil refinery was damaged in the attack. The refinery has reportedly been targeted in previous strikes. Sobyanin said that one drone hit a residential building, but no residents were killed. In a statement posted on Telegram, Sobyanin claimed that Russian forces had repelled the “biggest attack by enemy drones” and said that more than 1,600 drones had been shot down across all fronts since the previous day. He said 450 of those drones had been approaching Moscow. The figures and characterization of the attack were presented by Russian officials and were not independently verified in the article. The reported strikes occurred as Russia held the final day of a parliamentary election, adding a political dimension to the attack. The incident also highlights the continuing expansion of the Russia-Ukraine conflict beyond the front lines, with infrastructure in and around the Russian capital again coming under attack.

Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones against targets across Russia overnight, including hundreds aimed at Moscow, in what Russian and Ukrainian officials described as the largest attack of its kind on the Russian capital. Moscow regional governor Andrei Vorobyov reported that two people were killed and 20 injured in the wider Moscow region. The strikes damaged a Moscow oil refinery and a residential building. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the refinery was among the targets, saying the operation was part of Kyiv’s effort to damage Russia’s energy infrastructure, which he described as a major source of funding for the war. Zelenskyy said Ukrainian-made drones and missiles, including the Flamingo and Pelican systems, were used against oil and logistics facilities. The article also reports that a Russian drone attack near Kyiv killed a mother and her two children, bringing the reported death toll from the overnight attacks to at least five across both countries. Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed that 1,100 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russia, including over Crimea and the Black Sea. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 450 drones were destroyed while approaching the capital and accused Ukraine of trying to disrupt Russia’s parliamentary elections, although he said the attempt failed. The attacks occurred on the final day of Russia’s parliamentary elections, which were also held in the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, as well as Crimea—territories annexed or occupied by Russia. Ukraine considers the voting in those areas illegal. The report says Ukraine has developed increasingly sophisticated long-range drone capabilities since Russia’s full-scale invasion. According to the Associated Press, Kyiv hopes such strikes will expose the consequences of the war to the Russian public and increase pressure on President Vladimir Putin to negotiate. Meanwhile, long-range attacks have intensified on both sides, while fighting along the approximately 1,250-kilometre front line has reportedly slowed because drones and ground robots are making troop movements more difficult.