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Two people were killed, homes were damaged and a major fire broke out at a fuel facility in a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow and surrounding areas, Russian officials and military bloggers said.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Ukraine launched more than 650 drones toward the capital overnight. He described the attack as unusually large in scale during the war.
Russian officials said air defense forces neutralized most of the drones. The attack nevertheless caused significant damage in the region.
Homes and cars damaged, two people killed
Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov said 185 Ukrainian drones had been destroyed or brought down over the region. Seven people were injured, while 47 detached houses, four apartments and three cars were damaged, he said.
Vorobyov said rescuers later recovered the body of a 71-year-old man from the rubble of a house. A 20-year-old man was killed in a nearby village.
In Domodedovo, south of Moscow, crews worked to restore electricity to villages affected by the attack. One of Russia’s largest airports is located in the area.
Claim of strike on fuel facility
Military blogger Yuri Podolyaka claimed that one of the tanks at the Volodarskaya oil storage and distribution facility in Moscow Region had been hit. The facility stores diesel fuel, gasoline and aviation fuel.
There was no immediate official confirmation that the facility had been damaged. Ukraine’s Supernova+ military blog published a video it said showed a large fire at the site. Reuters said it could not independently verify the footage.
Volodarskaya plays an important role in Moscow’s fuel supply network. The facility operates within the distribution system of state pipeline monopoly Transneft, is connected to the Moscow oil refinery and supplies fuel to the capital’s three main airports.
Ukraine targets Russia’s energy infrastructure
Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian oil refineries, fuel depots and export terminals in recent long-range strikes. Kyiv has said the attacks aim to disrupt infrastructure supporting Russia’s war effort and reduce revenue Moscow uses to finance the conflict. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russian military bloggers also claimed that the overnight attack targeted the Moscow oil refinery, southeast of the capital. They said air defense forces prevented a direct hit. The claim has not been independently verified.
The refinery, located within the Moscow Ring Road, has been attacked several times before. It was last hit on Sept. 20, the main day of voting in Russia’s parliamentary elections.
Attacks by both sides intensify
The latest attacks come as Russia continues to launch missile and drone strikes on Kyiv. Russian forces have recently targeted infrastructure, including bridges over the Dnipro River.
Damage to homes, power outages and casualties in Moscow Region again illustrate the war’s impact on residents living around the Russian capital. The incident also underscores the growing role of Ukraine’s long-range drones in striking strategic sites far from the front line.
