A large oil refinery caught fire in Moscow following the strike
On the night of September 20, the Ukrainian military struck the Moscow Oil Refinery in the Kapotnya area. A massive fire broke out on the refinery’s premises following the attack. The General Staff reported that three of the refinery’s production facilities were hit.
On the night of September 20, the Ukrainian Armed Forces struck one of Russia’s largest oil refineries—the Gazpromneft-Moscow Oil Refinery. The refinery is located in the Kapotnya district in southeastern Moscow. A massive fire broke out on the premises following the strike. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on the consequences of the attack.
Which facilities were hit at the refinery
According to the General Staff, three production facilities at the Moscow Oil Refinery were hit during the strike. These include:
- the AVT-6 primary refining unit;
- the integrated oil refining unit;
- the isomerization unit.
In other words, the strike directly targeted the plant’s production facilities. These units are used in oil refining and the production of various types of fuel. Therefore, damage to them could affect certain production processes at the plant. At the same time, the exact extent of the damage and its further consequences for the plant’s operations have not yet been reported.
Statement from the SBU
The Security Service of Ukraine stated that the operation was conducted jointly with other components of the Armed Forces. According to the security service, the Unmanned Systems Forces, Special Operations Forces, the Main Intelligence Directorate, and other units were involved in the strike. The SBU also reported that long-range drones from the “Alpha” Special Operations Center traveled more than 500 kilometers to reach the target.
According to the security service, the drones were able to penetrate the Russian air defense system and strike the Moscow Oil Refinery. “A large-scale fire has been reported there,” the SBU stated. The security service also noted that the facility is located approximately 15 kilometers from the Kremlin.
What is known about the Moscow Oil Refinery
“Gazpromneft-Moscow Oil Refinery” is one of Russia’s largest oil refineries. The refinery is located in the Kapotnya district of Moscow. The facility has a processing capacity of about 12 million metric tons of crude oil per year. The plant produces various types of fuel and petroleum products, including automotive gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, fuel oil, and other refined petroleum products.
The Moscow Oil Refinery plays a vital role in supplying fuel to Moscow and the surrounding areas. For this reason, the plant’s operations are important not only for the civilian market but also for Russia’s fuel system as a whole. The General Staff also noted that the plant is involved in meeting the needs of the Russian armed forces.
What is known about the consequences of the strike
So far, it has been confirmed that three production facilities were hit and a large-scale fire broke out. The Ukrainian side has not yet released precise data on the extent of the fire, possible damage, or the extent to which the strike affected the plant’s operations. There is also no comprehensive independent information on the plant’s condition following the attack.
The Ukrainian military regularly carries out strikes against facilities in the Russian oil industry. Officials in Kyiv explain these attacks as necessary to reduce Russia’s ability to supply its army with fuel and obtain resources to continue the war. This time, the target was the Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotnya—one of Russia’s largest oil refining facilities. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
On the night of September 20, the Ukrainian military struck the Moscow Oil Refinery in the Kapotnya area. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the strike and announced that one of Russia’s key oil industry facilities had been hit. The General Staff reported that a massive fire broke out on the refinery’s grounds following the attack.
On the night of September 20, Moscow and the Moscow region came under a massive drone attack. One of the strikes hit the Gazpromneft-MNPZ Moscow oil refinery in the Kapotnya area, after which a fire broke out at the facility.
