Video: A major oil refinery caught fire in Moscow following a drone attack
On the night of September 19–20, 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 district, after which a fire broke out at the facility.
As a result of the nighttime drone attack in Moscow, the Gazpromneft-MNPZ oil refinery caught fire. Russian sources reported the strike on the facility, and Reuters noted that several drones reached the refinery’s grounds. Videos shared by eyewitnesses show a fire and thick smoke rising above the plant area.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that facilities at the refinery were damaged as a result of the attack. According to him, Russian air defense systems engaged the drones during the attack. However, the exact extent of the damage to the refinery is currently unknown. There is also no confirmation of how severely the strike affected the plant’s operations.
The Significance of the Moscow Oil Refinery
The Moscow Oil Refinery is located in the Kapotnya district in the southeastern part of the Russian capital. The facility is owned by Gazprom Neft and is one of the main producers of fuel for Moscow and the Moscow region. According to ASTRA, the refinery has a processing capacity of about 11 million metric tons of crude oil per year. The facility supplies approximately 40% of Moscow’s fuel market and about 70% of the Moscow region’s needs for gasoline and jet fuel.
Therefore, any serious damage to this facility could have significant implications for fuel supplies in the Russian capital and the surrounding region. This is not the first time the Moscow refinery has been targeted. In June 2026, the facility was also attacked by drones. A fire broke out at the plant at that time, and Reuters, citing sources in the oil industry, reported damage to the primary refining unit.
Moscow Suffered a Massive Attack
Explosions were heard last night not only near the refinery. Residents of Moscow and the Moscow region reported numerous drones, explosions, and fires. According to Reuters, Russian authorities stated that the Moscow region had come under a large-scale attack. Some of the drones were shot down by Russian air defenses, but others still reached their targets. One of them struck a high-rise building. In the Moscow region, residential buildings were also damaged by the strikes, and about 400 people, including 70 children, were evacuated.
According to preliminary reports from Reuters, two people were killed in the Moscow region as a result of the attack. No fatalities were reported in Moscow itself. The attack took place on the final day of voting in the Russian State Duma elections. The mayor of Moscow stated that the strikes were allegedly intended to disrupt the elections; however, this is an assessment by the Russian authorities, and there is no independent confirmation of such an objective.
Russia Is Facing Fuel Shortages
The strikes on Russian oil refineries are taking place amid problems with fuel production in Russia. According to Reuters, drone attacks in September had already seriously disrupted operations at several major Russian refineries. Some facilities reduced production or completely shut down certain units. As a result, Russia experienced disruptions in the supply of diesel fuel and gasoline.
Russian authorities had already restricted exports of gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet fuel in an effort to boost domestic reserves. Reuters also reported that Russia was forced to revise its oil production forecasts amid the fallout from the war and attacks on energy infrastructure. Exactly what was damaged at the Moscow refinery following the latest attack—and whether this will affect its operations—should become clear after the damage is assessed. Russian authorities and emergency services have not yet reported the full extent of the damage to the facility, according to the Telegram channel Astra.
Over the past 24 hours, the Russian army lost another approximately 1,560 soldiers in the war against Ukraine. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, total personnel losses among Russian troops since the start of the full-scale invasion amount to approximately 1,517,990 people.
Russian forces launched another attack on Ukraine on the evening of September 19. They used 138 drones in the strike. The attack continued throughout the night. Ukrainian air defense forces engaged enemy targets in the country’s airspace.
