Ukraine knocks out Moscow oil refinery in wave of drone strikes

A massive wave of Ukrainian drone strikes has completely halted operations at the Moscow oil refinery in Kapotnya, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The strategic strike, which took place over June 18 and the night of June 19, 2026, successfully targeted a complex oil refining unit alongside four major storage tanks (three RVS-10000 tanks and one RVS-30000 tank), News.Az reports, citing RBC-Ukraine.

Military officials confirmed the plant has suspended all oil processing for an indefinite period. Reuters later backed these reports, noting significant damage to key technological units and multiple fires across the facility. Videos circulating on social media captured the dramatic moments of the attack, showing a direct hit on a refinery tank followed by a large-scale blaze.

The crippling of the Moscow refinery was part of a larger, highly coordinated Ukrainian operation targeting Russian military infrastructure and supply lines over a 24-hour window.

According to the General Staff, several other key targets were successfully neutralized:

Crimean supply lines: Drones struck crucial railway bridges in Rozdolne and Vladyslavivka, heavily disrupting Russia's military transport and logistical supply routes into occupied Crimea.

Logistics & equipment: A fuel depot in Mariupol was hit, alongside a major concentration of Russian weapons and military equipment near Sevierodonetsk.

Command centers: Multiple drone control points were knocked out across the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

This massive escalation comes at a time when Ukraine has officially surpassed Russia in the daily volume of drone deployments. The Ukrainian General Staff emphasized that these systematic, high-impact strikes will continue until Russia halts its armed aggression.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada