A large-scale Ukrainian drone attack damaged a facility at Moscow’s oil refinery on September 20, marking the latest strike on Russia’s energy infrastructure as Kyiv and Moscow continue attacks despite a US-backed push to halt such operations, Reuters reported.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian air defenses intercepted more than 1,600 drones across the country since September 19, including around 450 targeting Moscow. Several drones reached the refinery’s premises, while another struck a residential building, according to Russian authorities.

The extent of the damage to the refinery was not immediately disclosed. Reuters witnesses reported hearing explosions and seeing smoke rising from the facility.

The Moscow refinery, which has been targeted several times, processed 11.6 million tons (mmt) of crude oil in 2024, producing approximately 2.9 million tons of gasoline and 3.2 million tons of diesel, according to the latest available data.

The latest strike comes amid broader disruptions to Russia’s refining sector. Repeated Ukrainian attacks have affected refinery operations, contributing to fuel shortages, higher prices, and longer queues at filling stations in several regions.

Meanwhile, Russian authorities reported that three people were killed in the Moscow region, with two dying during the early-morning attacks and a third succumbing to injuries later in hospital. Around 400 people, including 70 children, were evacuated from a damaged apartment building in the Ramenskoye district.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, triggering the largest conflict in Europe in decades. More than four years into the war, Russian and Ukrainian forces continue to exchange long-range drone and missile strikes, including attacks on energy infrastructure.