Ukrainian Drone Slams Into Russian Refinery, Blast Hurls Tank Lid Skyward | Watch
Ukrainian Drone Slams Into Russian Refinery, Blast Hurls Tank Lid Skyward | Watch Published By, Last Updated: June 18, 2026, 16:26 IST An oil refinery
Ukrainian Drone Slams Into Russian Refinery, Blast Hurls Tank Lid Skyward | Watch Published By, Last Updated: June 18, 2026, 16:26 IST An oil refinery in Moscow came under attack in the strike, as Kyiv targeted multiple locations across the Russian capital. A high-rise building near the facility was also damaged An oil refinery in Moscow came under attack in the strike, as Kyiv targeted multiple locations across the Russian capital | Image credit: AFP There were plumes of smoke rising into the sky. There were flames that seemed to sweep through the surroundings after Ukraine unleashed its biggest drone assault on Russia in recent years. An oil refinery in Moscow came under attack in the strike, as Kyiv targeted multiple locations across the Russian capital. A high-rise residential building near the facility was also damaged. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared a video on ‘X’, featuring plumes of smoke spreading across the skyline as the oil refinery and several other buildings in the region went engulfed in flames.
In the clip that appeared to have been shot from a moving car, thick plumes of smoke were seen enveloping the region. At a point, the clip captured the moment the oil refinery came under attack –– the tank’s lid went flying into the air as flames erupted, with smoke and debris spreading outwards. Watch Last night, our long-range sanctions once again reached the Moscow region – for the second time this week, the Moscow oil refinery was hit. Targets were also struck in the Rostov region and in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. This is a fully justified response to… pic.twitter.com/NhFl4FlT9L— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 18, 2026 President Zelenskyy described the missile salvo as “a fully justified response to Russian attacks on our cities and communities", which followed Russia’s major strike targeting Kyiv with ballistic missiles and drones. Ukrainian officials reported multiple missile and drone strikes overnight as Russia continued aerial attacks.
Air raid alerts were also issued across several parts of the country. “Last night, our long-range sanctions once again reached the Moscow region – for the second time this week, the Moscow oil refinery was hit. Targets were also struck in the Rostov region and in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. This is a fully justified response to Russian attacks on our cities and communities, and another important result of our warriors’ work against facilities that sustain Russia’s war machine", the Ukrainian President wrote. Zelenskyy called for an early end to the conflict, stressing Russia must take the necessary steps in diplomacy. “I thank our Defense and Security Forces of Ukraine for their coordinated efforts – the Security Service of Ukraine, the Unmanned Systems Forces, the Special Operations Forces, Defense Intelligence, and our missile brigade for their precision. In recent days, all of our partners have noted the precision and effectiveness of our mid-range strikes and long-range sanctions.
