Residents across southeastern Moscow woke on Thursday, 18 June 2026, to smoke-filled skies and reports of black soot settling on cars, balconies and windows after a Ukrainian drone strike hit the Moscow Oil Refinery. Dark residue could be seen spread across residential neighbourhoods from online videos, with some residents describing the fallout as 'black rain'.
The facility, located in the Kapotnya district around 15 kilometres from the Kremlin, was among the targets during what Russian officials described as the largest drone attack on the capital since the start of the full-scale war. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian air defences intercepted at least 194 drones heading towards the city overnight. Russia's Ministry of Defence said nearly 1,000 drones were shot down across the country as part of a wider attack that stretched across several regions.
