OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
11:34 AM – Thursday, June 18, 2026
Ukraine has launched its largest attack on Russia since the beginning of the two countries’ years-long conflict, bringing the war to Moscow with nearly 200 uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs).
On Thursday, Ukraine’s strikes on Russia’s capital successfully targeted a major oil refinery in Moscow’s Kapotnya district. Online footage showed flames and plumes of smoke billowing over nearby buildings, capturing the moment a roof of a large fuel tank container was blown into the air.
Residents in Moscow posted reactions to the strike online, demonstrating the psychological effect of the strike, considering Muscovites can look out of their apartments and see smoke over the capital.
“The war is here. My windows are shaking. The air is dark and smells of smoke,” a woman with tears in her eyes said in a video clip.
Citizens in the immediate fallout zone complained of oil rain, or “black rain,” after the attack, sharing footage of a dark, cloudy sky. A local news channel reported a rain shower that left spots of oil on cars and window sills.
The Kapotnya facility is a critical infrastructure asset, supplies up to 40% of Moscow’s petrol and about half of its diesel fuel.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin claimed that Russian air defenses managed to down more than four dozen drones heading toward capial.
“Air defense forces continue to repel a massive attack,” he announced on Telegram, according to Reuters.
An apartment building in Zhukovsky, outside Moscow, was also hit by a drone, according to Russian state media, citing Moscow regional Governor Andrey Vorobyov.
Vorobyov said that while the building and some balconies were damaged, there were no reported casualties. Falling drone debris and secondary explosions also ignited fires and caused damage to a nearby fitness center, a shopping center and an industrial facility.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is currently attending a diplomatic summit with Asian leaders in Kazan, has not yet publicly commented on the breach of the capital’s airspace.
“One of the most popular questions asked by Muscovites this morning is ‘What is going on?’” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X Thursday,
“I can answer. Your country started a war of aggression against ours. For years, it has been killing our people,” he continued. “Now that you know what’s going on, ask Putin when he is planning to end it.”
He later shared an image of the oil refinery’s blown-off lid, saying, “In Moscow, everything is going according to plan. Not Russia’s plan, though.”
This strike serves as a stark reminder to Russians that they may not be as insulated from the war as they think. Two weeks prior to Thursday’s attack, Ukraine’s forces struck St. Petersburg, Putin’s hometown, just before Russia’s annual economic forum occurred in the city.
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