Ukrainian drones attacked the Moscow Oil Refinery in the Russian capital’s southwest Kapotnya District overnight into June 18. Judging by the photos and videos published on social media, the strike hit several key facilities at the plant. It was the third attack on the Moscow refinery in less than a month and the second in the past two days.
The Telegram channel Astra counted at least five fire sites on the refinery’s grounds. The Ukrainian open source intelligence (OSINT) project CyberBoroshno (lit. “CyberFlour”) reported that hits were recorded at the tank farm, the G-43-107 catalytic cracking unit, the area of the visbreaking unit, and the combined unit that produces methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE, and oligomerate).
An additional analysis was published by Ukrainian channel Dnipro Osint (“Harbuz”), which noted that video from the strike site showed multiple fire sites and at least one detonation of a tank or cistern, based on preliminary geolocation of the fires.
If reports of damage to the catalytic cracking unit are confirmed, it would be the second strike on key production capacity at the Moscow refinery this week alone. Reuters reported that overnight into June 16, Ukrainian drones attacked the refinery’s main crude distillation unit, which accounts for about 53% of the plant’s capacity. The refinery suspended operations after that attack.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that Russian air defenses shot down 194 drones headed for the capital on the night of June 17-18. Moscow Region governor Andrei Vorobyov said at least 17 people were injured in the attacks, including two children. All four Moscow airports suspended operations, with over 500 flights canceled or delayed.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said at least 992 drones were shot down across the country over the past 24 hours, the highest reported total since 2022.
Catalytic cracking is one of the most important processes in oil refining and is used to produce high-octane gasoline. A visbreaking unit processes heavy oil residues, while MTBE production provides an additive used to raise fuel octane levels. That means the attack may have damaged not only storage tanks but also the refinery’s production infrastructure.
The Moscow Oil Refinery processes up to 11 million tons of oil annually. The plant supplies up to 40% of Moscow’s gasoline, about half of its diesel, and covers up to 70% of the Moscow Region’s demand for gasoline and aviation kerosene.
