Ukrainian forces launched a nighttime attack on June 16, targeting a major oil refinery in the Moscow region, resulting in damage to its primary processing unit, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The strike led to a fire at the Moscow Oil Refinery, which plays a crucial role in supplying fuel to the Russian military. The facility accounts for over 38% of fuel consumption in the capital region, providing aviation fuel to major airports including Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky. With a processing capacity exceeding 12 million tons of oil annually, the refinery is a key asset for the Russian energy sector.
In addition to the refinery, the General Staff confirmed that a military-industrial complex facility, the Central Design Bureau of Apparatus Engineering near Tula, was also hit. This facility specializes in the development and production of radar systems and radio navigation equipment. Damage was reported to the building and supporting structures of the assembly shop.
As of 6:00 AM on June 16, a fire continued to rage at the state-owned Temp Plant in Rybinsk, Yaroslavl region, which was struck on June 14.
Earlier that day, President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the successful strike on the Moscow refinery, located approximately 500 kilometers from Ukraine. Local authorities reported the fire at the refinery in the Kapotnya area of southeastern Moscow, with numerous videos circulating on Ukrainian monitoring Telegram channels showing the blaze and the moment a drone struck.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin confirmed that one of the drones had damaged the Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotnya but stated that there were no reported injuries. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations later announced that the fire had been localized.
Throughout the night, Sobyanin reported that dozens of drones were intercepted before reaching Moscow, leading to the temporary closure of airports in the city.
This marks a significant escalation in drone strikes on Moscow, following a previous large-scale attack on May 17, which resulted in injuries to 12 individuals but did not cause a fire at the refinery.
In a separate incident on June 16, a drone attack in the Krasnodar region caused a fire at an oil depot in the settlement of Poltavskaya. Local emergency services reported no casualties from this incident.
Ukrainian military operations have increasingly targeted Russian oil infrastructure. Reports from late May indicated that nearly all major refineries in central Russia had to halt or reduce production due to drone strikes. Residents in regions such as Belgorod, Ryazan, and Krasnodar have reported fuel shortages, prompting restrictions on fuel sales in several areas, including limits on gasoline at major gas station chains in Moscow.
Ukrainian forces have intensified their drone strikes on Russian oil facilities, causing significant damage and ongoing fires at key sites. The attacks are part of a broader strategy targeting Russia's energy infrastructure, which has led to fuel shortages in various regions.