Ukrainian drones set a Moscow refinery ablaze in a major attack on the Russian capital

By — Barry Hatton, Associated Press Barry Hatton, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/ukrainian-drones-set-a-moscow-refinery-ablaze-in-a-major-attack-on-the-russian-capital Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Ukrainian drones set a Moscow refinery ablaze in a major attack on the Russian capital World Jun 18, 2026 3:56 PM EDT Ukraine struck a major Moscow oil refinery Thursday for a second time in a week, sending huge plumes of black smoke over the capital and disrupting hundreds of flights at its airports in one of its biggest drone attacks since Russia's full-scale invasion over four years ago, officials said. Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian oil facilities, aiming to cut Moscow's revenue for the war and make Russians feel the consequences of the invasion. Some areas have reported fuel shortages. READ MORE: Russia unleashes an overnight barrage on Ukraine, killing 11 people and damaging a religious landmark, officials say The attack by dozens of drones came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had held "an important coordination call" with the presidents of the United States and France and had won key pledges of further support from this week's G7 summit. "If Ukraine is going to burn, your Moscow will burn too," Zelenskyy said, adding that the attack was part of Kyiv's effort to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. "It is time to end the aggression, time to end this war." Ukrainian attack embarrasses Putin again The Moscow attack was the latest embarrassment for Putin. Ukrainian drones attacked his hometown of St. Petersburg earlier this month as he welcomed foreign VIPs to his showcase economic forum in the city. Putin on Thursday was in Kazan, some 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Moscow, hosting leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as Russia seeks to bolster business and other ties with the regional bloc. Russia's state-controlled TV channels only briefly mentioned the attack on Moscow. Pro-Kremlin newspapers reported it, with some praising the performance of air defenses while noting that the strike highlighted the need to further strengthen the defensive shield around the capital. WATCH: What Putin's rejection of Ukraine's call for talks means for efforts to end Russia's war Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the lower house of Russia's parliament, warned that Moscow would respond by ramping up its strikes. "Their action will lead to our counteraction and launching harsher blows, with more powerful weapons," Volodin said in televised remarks. Some Russian hawks urged the Kremlin to respond with nuclear weapons. Nationalist Konstantin Malofeyev criticized the military for "fighting at half-strength in a gentlemanlike way." "War means victory at any cost," Malofeyev wrote on his Telegram channel, suggesting the use of "the nuclear weapons that our ancestors created and stoc