Three dead in Moscow region, drones hit oil refinery in Russian capital

Moscow Drone Attack Kills Three, Damages Major Oil Refinery During Elections

Details of the Moscow Drone Attack and Its Impact

Overview of the Attack

MOSCOW, Sept 20 (Reuters) - The largest Ukrainian drone attack reported so far on the Moscow region killed three people and damaged part of an oil refinery in the capital, authorities said on Sunday, as Russia votes in the final day of parliamentary elections. 

Ukraine and Russia have continued attacks on each other's energy infrastructure despite an announcement by US President Donald Trump on Monday that they had agreed to stop.

Russian Authorities' Response

Statements from Moscow Officials

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on his Telegram channel that Russia had downed more than 1,600 drones since Saturday, including 450 headed for Moscow.

"The unprecedented attack was clearly planned with the aim of disrupting the elections," he said. "The adversary failed to achieve this."

Several drones reached the premises of the oil refinery and one hit an apartment building, he said.

Casualties and Local Impact

Two people were killed in the early-morning attacks and a third died of his injuries later in hospital, the region's governor, Andrei Vorobyov, said on Telegram.

In the village of Sofyino, south of Moscow, a body covered in a stained blanket lay in front of a damaged apartment block, the upper windows of which were blown out.

"Glass went flying, people started screaming and shouting. I turned around and the entrance doors had already been blown out, debris everywhere," said resident Vitaliy, who gave only his first name. 

Damage to Energy Infrastructure

Oil Refinery Damage

A facility at the Moscow refinery was damaged in the attack, Mayor Sobyanin  said, without giving further details, news agency Interfax reported.

Reuters witnesses in Moscow heard blasts and saw plumes of smoke billowing from the site of the refinery.

Wider Effects on Russian Oil Production

Impact on Oil Supply and Prices

Ukrainian strikes have knocked out a significant part of Russia's oil refining capacity, triggering oil product shortages, fuel price increases and long queues at filling stations in many regions across the country's 11 time zones.

The Moscow plant, which has been targeted multiple times, processed 11.6 million metric tons of oil in 2024, producing 2.9 million tons of gasoline and 3.2 million tons of diesel, the latest available data shows.

Reactions and Evacuations

Ukraine has not commented on the attacks. Both sides say they do not target civilians.

In the wider Moscow region, 400 people, including 70 children, were evacuated from a 21-storey apartment block in the Ramenskoye district and a number of homes were damaged, said Governor​Vorobyov.

Reporting Credits

(Reporting by Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru, Reuters bureaux; Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Lincoln Feast and William Mallard, Kirsten Donovan)