Ukraine Launches Largest Drone Attack on Russia: Over 1,000 Drones Target Moscow, Oil Depot Destroyed.

Kyiv’s overnight barrage hits Moscow Oil Refinery 15 km from Kremlin, sparks fires across Russia; 194 drones downed over capital, 17 injured, flights halted.

Moscow/Kyiv: -Ukraine carried out its largest drone and missile offensive on Russian territory since the start of the full-scale war, launching nearly *1,000 drones* overnight into Thursday, with *194 intercepted over Moscow alone, according to Russian officials. The attack damaged a key oil refinery, triggered fires, and disrupted flights at all major Moscow airports.

Scale of the Attack: 'Largest on Moscow Since 2022'.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian air defenses shot down at least 194 drones bound for the capital  “far higher than other days of heavy attacks in recent months, when drones only numbered in the double digits.” 

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said air defenses intercepted *almost 1,000 drones across the country, including over the Sea of Azov. The barrage left at least 17 people injured and sent debris raining across the Moscow region. 

Flights at all major Moscow airports were temporarily suspended Thursday, Reuters reported, citing the Russian aviation agency. 

 Key Targets: Oil Infrastructure Hit.

Moscow Oil Refinery: Among Ukraine’s targets was the Moscow Oil Refinery, owned by Gazpromneft, just 15 kilometers from the Kremlin in the southeastern district of Kapotnya. Moscow Mayor Sobyanin confirmed a facility at the refinery was damaged, though “there were no casualties.” The plant processed 11.6 million tons of oil in 2024 and serves the Moscow region. 

Other energy sites: Ukraine’s General Staff said drones also struck:

Saratov oil refinery on the Volga river, causing a large fire, 700 km from the front line

Lazarevo pumping station in Kirov region, 1,300 km from Ukrainian territory, serving the Surgut-Gorky-Polotsk pipeline

-Fuel depot in Matveyev Kurgan, Rostov region, sparking a major fire across 3,600 sq m 

Ukraine has expanded long-range attacks on Moscow’s energy infrastructure, which President *Volodymyr Zelensky* framed as “key strategy in forcing Moscow to end its war.” 

Zelensky: 'If Ukraine Is Engulfed in Flames, So Will Your Moscow'.

Zelensky called Thursday’s attacks a “justified” response to Russia targeting a UNESCO-listed monastery complex in Kyiv earlier this week. 

We do not want this war and never have… But if Ukraine is engulfed in flames, so will your Moscow be. That is why we emphasize once again that it is time to end the aggression,” he told reporters. 

He added that hundreds of thousands of Indian nationals work on ships* in the Strait of Hormuz and “their safety is of utmost importance to us,” thanking Trump for working toward an agreement with Iran. 

 Context: Escalating Energy War.

Kyiv has stepped up targeting of Russian refineries, pipelines, and fuel depots in 2026. The number of drone strikes on Russian refineries doubled since the start of 2026, leading to partial shutdowns and fuel shortages. 

Russia’s Defence Ministry said it downed 216 drones in a separate overnight attack on Sunday, May 31. Ukraine’s strikes on refineries and oil facilities earlier this year contributed to fuel shortages in Russia. 

Ukraine’s military said it hit an oil facility in *Yaroslavl region* and the *Azot chemical plant* in Tula region during overnight operations, with President Zelensky noting Azot is “an important component of Russia's explosives production chain.”

Russian Response.

Russian officials confirmed damage but said most drones were intercepted. In Rostov, authorities declared a *state of emergency in Matveyev-Kurgan after the oil depot fire. In Crimea, Moscow-backed governor Sergei Aksyonov introduced restrictions on petrol sales amid attacks on fuel infrastructure.