2 Dead in Moscow Region, Drones Hit Oil Refinery in Russian Capital

By Reuters Sep. 20, 2026 Telegram Two people died in one of the biggest Ukrainian drone attacks on the Moscow region and an oil refinery in Russia's capital was hit, authorities said on Sunday, as Russia enters the final day of parliamentary elections. Ukraine and Russia have continued attacks on each other's energy infrastructure despite an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday that they had agreed to stop. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on his Telegram channel that the biggest Ukrainian drone attacks had been thwarted, with Russia downing more than 1,600 drones since Saturday, including 450 headed for Moscow. Several drones reached the premises of the oil refinery and one hit an apartment, Sobyanin said, adding there were no casualties in the city. "The unprecedented attack was clearly planned with the aim of disrupting the elections," he said. "The adversary failed to achieve this." Reuters witnesses heard blasts in Moscow and saw plumes of smoke billowing from the site of the Moscow refinery. The scale of any damage to the facility was not immediately known. Ukrainian strikes have knocked out a significant part of Russia's oil refining capacity, triggering oil product shortages, fuel price increases and long queues at filling stations in many regions across the country's 11 time zones. The Moscow plant, which has been targeted multiple times, processed 11.6 million metric tons of oil in 2024, producing 2.9 million tons of gasoline and 3.2 million tons of diesel, the latest available data shows. Ukraine has not commented on the attacks. Both sides say they do not target civilians. In the wider Moscow region, in addition to the two deaths, 400 people, including 70 children, were evacuated from a 21-storey apartment block in the Ramenskoye district and a number of homes were damaged, said Governor Andrei ​Vorobyov. Read more about: Ukraine war , Drones , Energy , Moscow region Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more At Least 5 Killed in Ukraine’s Latest Drone Attacks Against Wildberries Moscow region authorities said another 10 people were injured in an overnight strike on a warehouse in the city of Chekov. 2 Min read Hundreds of Ukrainian Drones Target Moscow in Overnight Blitz Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 390 drones were tracked in the skies above the wider Moscow region between Monday night and Tuesday morning. 2 Min read ‘War Has Come’: Ukrainian Drone Attack Leaves Moscow’s Suburbs Shaken “It’s terrifying to even go to sleep after such a thing,” a young woman in the Moscow region said after Tuesday night’s mass drone attack. 2 Min read 1 Killed, Several Injured in Major Ukrainian Drone Attack Near Moscow The overnight attacks, which saw 144 drones destroyed over Russian territory, also disrupted air traffic at several major airports. 2 Min read