'Whole of Moscow is burning': Aftermath of Ukraine's biggest attack on the Russian capital
Moscow hit by largest drone attack as oil refinery burns (photo: Russian media)
Moscow and the surrounding region came under the largest Ukrainian drone attack to date on Thursday, June 18. The oil refinery in Kapotnya was once again targeted, with thick plumes of smoke rising above the city.
RBC-Ukraine has compiled the key details about the consequences of the drone raid on the Russian capital.
Key points:
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Dozens of videos showing strikes and a major fire at the Russian capital's oil refinery have flooded the internet.
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All Moscow airports were closed due to the threat, and passengers were evacuated at Sheremetyevo Airport.
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Monitoring channels have recorded at least half a dozen fire outbreaks.
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The Moscow oil refinery in Kapotnya, which supplies 40% of the Russian capital's fuel market, was targeted.
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Moscow has been attacked by drones for the third consecutive night, and today's raid is being described as one of the largest this year.
One of the largest attacks on Moscow
Russian social media channels are reporting that this is one of the largest Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow and the surrounding region this year. The number of targets is already being counted in the hundreds.
The Moscow Ring Road, one of the city's most important transport arteries, was partially closed. Drivers were advised to seek alternative routes.
Due to the threat in the sky, authorities were forced to activate the "Carpet" plan. Restrictions were imposed at airports. The Russian aviation authorities introduced restrictions at Vnukovo Airport around midnight. At Sheremetyevo Airport, passengers were evacuated, with some people even being removed from aircraft.
By 9:30 a.m., it became known that drones had forced the suspension of operations at all Moscow airports: Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Zhukovsky, and Sheremetyevo.
Thick black smoke blankets Moscow during the June 18 attack (photo: Russian media)
Mayor Sergey Sobyanin stated that as of 8:17 a.m., "about 180 drones" had allegedly been shot down while approaching Moscow and that "air defense operations are continuing."
Moscow Region Governor Andrey Vorobyov also commented on the attack. According to the Russian official, at least five districts of the Moscow region came under attack.
In particular, an industrial zone and a fitness center building were hit in the city of Lyubertsy. A fire also broke out on the roof of the well-known Belaya Dacha shopping center.
As is typical in Russia, the authorities insist that "everything is under control" and that most of the damage is merely "the result of falling debris."
Атака дронів на Московський регіон виявилася однією з наймасованіших за останній час. Яскраво палає #НПЗ pic.twitter.com/KShF5yBH6C
— РБК-Україна (@rbc_ukraine) June 18, 2026
The Russian Ministry of Defense claims that as many as 555 drones were "shot down," but this narrative is undermined by Mayor Sobyanin, who says the attack is ongoing, and by ordinary Russians who are sharing vivid videos of successful strikes.
Oil refinery in Kapotnya targeted
Footage showing strikes and a major fire in the area of the Moscow oil refinery in Kapotnya is spreading online. Sobyanin confirmed that "several drones" managed to reach the refinery.
He also reported falling debris, saying that a building on the grounds of the Sadovod shopping center was damaged.
Дрони успішно подолали 500-600 км Росією, повторно атакувавши Москву:#Москва #Moscow pic.twitter.com/O3DAQ72nth
— РБК-Україна (@rbc_ukraine) June 18, 2026
Meanwhile, residents of Moscow and the surrounding region are posting footage of the aftermath on social media and sharing their reactions.
"The whole d*** Moscow is burning. Everything is burning. I'm getting out of here," one eyewitness says emotionally in a video.
"Вся Москва нахр*н горит!" - епічні емоції пересічного росіянина, який спостерігає за результатами сьогоднішньої атаки дронів на Московський НПЗ.#Москва #Moscow
— РБК-Україна (@rbc_ukraine) June 18, 2026
Обережно, присутня нецензурна лексика (18+). pic.twitter.com/Y8GB5aynon
Overall, dozens of videos have already appeared online showing drones calmly flying one after another over the Russian capital region amid the sound of gunfire and striking their targets.
Eyewitness footage shows several separate fires at the Moscow oil refinery. One video appears to show the roof of a storage tank being blown off by the strike.
На відео потрапив момент удару по резервуару на НПЗ у Москві. Вибухом зірвало люк#Москва pic.twitter.com/BK0ZMMcyjH
— РБК-Україна (@rbc_ukraine) June 18, 2026
Moscow continues to be covered by smoke.
Why this attack matters
According to assessments by OSINT channels, at least five separate fire outbreaks occurred on the territory of the Moscow oil refinery.
The facility is located just 15 kilometers from the Kremlin. The refinery is owned by Gazprom Neft and is one of the largest oil refining facilities in Russia.
The plant processes about 11 million tons of oil per year and supplies around 40 percent of Moscow's fuel market.
Preliminary geolocation of fire hotspots following the drone raid on the Moscow oil refinery (photo: t.me/DniproOfficial)
The facility was also attacked recently, on June 16. According to the Russian media outlet Agenstvo, as was the case two days earlier, drone strikes caused fires at the largest oil refinery in the Moscow region in Kapotnya, whose operations were suspended at that time. In terms of the number of drones reportedly shot down, this attack surpassed previous raids on the city.
Before this, the largest attack on Moscow was considered to be the raid of March 11, 2025.
Explosions were reported overnight in the Rostov region of Russia. In the city of Gukovo, an oil depot caught fire following a drone attack.
