- Russian authorities reported three deaths after a large drone attack struck the Moscow region and damaged an oil refinery.
- The Moscow refinery processed 11.6 million metric tons of crude in 2024, producing 2.9 million tons of gasoline and 3.2 million tons of diesel.
Russian authorities reported three deaths after a large drone attack struck the Moscow region on September 20, damaging part of an oil refinery in the Russian capital.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian forces had downed more than 1,600 drones since Saturday, including 450 drones heading toward Moscow. He described the attack as unprecedented and linked it to the parliamentary elections.
“The unprecedented attack was clearly planned with the aim of disrupting the elections,” Sobyanin said. “The adversary failed to achieve this.”
Sobyanin said several drones reached the oil refinery premises, while another drone struck an apartment building. Moscow authorities later confirmed damage at a facility within the refinery.
Moscow region Governor Andrei Vorobyov said the attacks killed two people initially, while a third person later died from injuries in hospital. The attacks also damaged residential buildings across the wider Moscow region.
Authorities evacuated 400 people, including 70 children, from a 21-storey apartment building in the Ramenskoye district after the attack. Vorobyov also reported damage to several homes.
Reuters witnesses in Moscow reported hearing blasts and seeing smoke rise from the refinery site. A local resident, identified as Vitaliy, described the impact of the attack on his apartment building.
“Glass went flying, people started screaming and shouting,” Vitaliy said. “I turned around and the entrance doors had already been blown out, debris everywhere.”
The Moscow refinery has faced previous attacks and plays a significant role in Russia’s fuel supply. The facility processed 11.6 million metric tons of oil in 2024, producing 2.9 million tons of gasoline and 3.2 million tons of diesel.
Repeated attacks on Russian energy infrastructure have disrupted refining capacity, according to the report. The disruptions have contributed to fuel shortages, higher prices and long queues at filling stations across several Russian regions.
The latest attack occurred despite continued discussions about halting attacks on energy infrastructure. Ukraine and Russia have continued striking each other’s energy facilities despite US President Donald Trump’s announcement that both sides had agreed to stop such attacks.
Ukraine had not commented on the latest attacks at the time of the report. Both Russia and Ukraine have said they do not target civilians.