The mayor of Moscow, Sergey Sobyanin, announced that a fire caused by Ukrainian drone strikes at the Moscow Oil Refinery has been largely contained. He reported that there were no casualties at the facility, although the incident has sparked reactions from various opposition figures in Russia.
In a message posted on Telegram, Sobyanin stated, “The fire resulting from the UAV strike at the Moscow Oil Refinery has been mostly localized, and efforts are ongoing to extinguish the remaining hotspots. There are no injuries reported at the plant.” Earlier on June 18, he confirmed that several Ukrainian drones had reached the refinery, while claiming that Russian air defense had intercepted approximately 180 drones approaching the city. He later mentioned the destruction of over ten additional UAVs.
Andrey Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, reported that 17 people, including two children, were injured due to the drone attacks in the surrounding areas. He also noted that there were damages and fires in the region.
Opposition Reactions
Several Russian opposition leaders took to social media to comment on the drone strikes in Moscow and the Moscow region. Mikhail Khodorkovsky criticized President Vladimir Putin, calling him a “degenerate.” He expressed his pain over the attacks on Moscow, comparing it to the suffering of cities like Kharkiv and Kyiv. “We are destroying our place in the world. The Chinese have said, ‘We don’t care about the quarrel of two Slavic tribes.’ Oh God, what a degenerate Putin is,” he wrote.
“I understand – I will live my life as a Soviet person: it hurts me to see strikes on Moscow as much as it does to see them on Kharkiv or Kyiv. We are destroying our place in the world. The Chinese said: ‘We don’t care about the quarrel of two Slavic tribes.’ God, what a degenerate Putin is,”
Victor Shenderovich remarked that the main issue for Russians is that even after the drone attacks and subsequent fire, no one will be able to suppress Putin. He stated, “The main sorrow today is that even after the fire in Moscow, no one will suppress Putin, simply because his own security is the only thing he has genuinely cared about for a long time. This matter is rated a five plus, and the reverse societal feedback will continue to irritate and foster a Stockholm syndrome.”
“The main sorrow today is that even after the fire in Moscow, no one will suppress Putin, simply because his own security is the only thing he has genuinely cared about for a long time. This matter is rated a five plus, and the reverse societal feedback will continue to irritate and foster a Stockholm syndrome,”
Julia Galyamina stated she sees no reason for Russia to continue its war against Ukraine. “I see no reason for Russia to continue the war. I believe the vast majority of us Russians feel the same way. If earlier some people dreamed of victory, now it is clear to them that no side can win this war,” she wrote on Telegram.
“I see no reason for Russia to continue the war. I believe the vast majority of us Russians feel the same way. If earlier some people dreamed of victory, now it is clear to them that no side can win this war,”
Andrey Pivovarov expressed that these events can only end with the death of the Russian leader, comparing it to the final moments of Joseph Stalin. “The massive bombing of the capital, the burning sights of Kapotnya… This can only end when the old man in the Kremlin chokes on his cough and falls like Stalin into his own puddle. He does not want to voluntarily end the war,” he wrote on social media.
Details on the Ukrainian Strikes
On June 16, Ukrainian defense forces struck the Moscow Oil Refinery in the Moscow region. Another attack occurred on the night of June 18, resulting in a fire. Russian media reported that thick black smoke enveloped residential areas in Moscow, including Zhulebino and Lyublino, as well as the nearby city of Lyubertsy.
The Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that the airline Aeroflot and its subsidiary, Rossiya, canceled over 170 flights to and from Moscow due to flight restrictions. Airports in Moscow, including Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky, were closed to incoming and outgoing flights due to the threat of drones.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the strikes on Moscow and the Moscow region as a “just response” to Russian attacks. He stated that if Russian forces continue to strike Ukraine, the Ukrainian military will respond in kind.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov threatened Ukraine with new massive attacks in response to the strikes on Moscow and the Moscow region. However, since February 2022, the Russian military has systematically shelled Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure, resulting in civilian casualties. According to the UN, at least 70 civilians have died in Ukraine since the beginning of May 2026 due to Russian attacks, with over 500 others injured.
A fire at the Moscow Oil Refinery, triggered by Ukrainian drone strikes, has been largely controlled, with no reported injuries. Opposition figures have criticized President Putin's leadership amid the ongoing conflict, reflecting a growing discontent among Russians regarding the war with Ukraine.