On the night of 18 June, the Moscow region came under a massive drone attack from several directions. A high-rise residential block and an oil refinery in Kapotnya were hit. The explosions resulted in large-scale fires, destruction and the complete collapse of operations at airports in the Russian capital.
- A night-time drone strike hit a high-rise block and the Kapotni oil refinery in Moscow.
- The Russian Federation’s air defence system was unable to fully repel the attack; there has been damage and fires.
- All the capital’s main airports were shut down following the attack.
- Fires at oil refineries are threatening logistics and fuel supplies in the central region of the Russian Federation.
A massive drone attack over Moscow
On the night of 18 June, the Moscow region came under a large-scale air raid involving unmanned aerial vehicles. They attacked in several waves and from different directions, making it difficult for Russia’s air defences to repel the strikes over densely populated areas.
A strike on a residential building and its consequences
One of the key epicentres was a high-rise block that was hit directly by a drone. The explosion damaged the external walls and the floors of several upper storeys, whilst open fires and thick smoke were reported inside the flats. The building’s façade was seriously damaged: windows were shattered, and the cladding and balconies were damaged. Emergency services are working at the scene; the number of casualties is being confirmed.
A second attack on the Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotna
Alongside the destruction in the residential sector, the strategic oil refinery in Kapotna has been hit for the second time this week. Following the previous air raid, the facility sustained serious damage, and the latest explosions threaten to halt efforts to resume operations. Oil refinery It supplies fuel to the central region of the Russian Federation and supports military logistics, which is why repeated strikes are of strategic importance.
Chaos at Moscow’s airports
Due to the threat of further attacks, the occupying authorities have announced the «Carpet» plan at the Moscow aviation hub. Operations at all the capital’s main airports—Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky—have been completely suspended. The cancellation of flights has led to a collapse in air services, affecting both passengers and freight transport.
