Massive Drone Attack Hits Moscow as Russians Vote
Posted on09/20/26 at 14:30
A large drone attack hit Moscow and the surrounding region on Sunday, as Russia held the final day of its first parliamentary elections since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Russian authorities said at least two people were killed in the Moscow region. The attack also damaged a major oil refinery in the capital.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that Russian defenses shot down over 1,600 drones since Saturday, including around 450 that were heading towards Moscow. These figures come from Russian authorities and have not been independently verified.
Sobyanin described the offensive as the largest recorded against the capital and claimed, without presenting public evidence, that it was intended to disrupt the parliamentary elections.
Drone Attack Hits Moscow and Key Refinery
The world is on high alert due to two serious incidents that occurred in the last 24 hours:
1. The devastating drone attack by Ukraine against Russia with over a thousand drones. Experts warn that Russian retaliation of an unimaginable magnitude is expected and that we could be facing the… pic.twitter.com/UupDgd6Zvl
— Roberto Ortiz (@robertoortizu) September 20, 2026
The attack hit the Moscow refinery, located in Kapotnya, an energy facility that had already been targeted by previous Ukrainian operations. Reuters witnesses observed columns of smoke over the complex.
The offensive also hit residential areas. A fire in a 21-story building forced the evacuation of around 400 people, including 70 children, according to regional governor Andrey Vorobyov.
The attacks coincide with a Ukrainian campaign against energy and logistics infrastructure that, according to Kiev, helps Russia sustain the war.
Russia continues to attack targets in Ukraine, while both countries maintain operations against infrastructure despite recent diplomatic efforts to reduce aerial attacks.
Russian Elections Marred by War
This is the moment a drone exploded as it hit an apartment building in Moscow. Russian authorities say more than 1,600 drones were launched from Ukraine, killing at least two people and causing damage to a major refinery. pic.twitter.com/LeAG52eDxS
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 20, 2026
Russians are voting to renew the 450 seats of the State Duma, in the first parliamentary elections since the large-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
Over 111 million people are eligible to participate, according to the Russian Central Election Commission, in an election that also includes regional and local voting.
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The coincidence between the elections and the attack once again brings the war into everyday Russian life: the drones hit residential areas, oil infrastructure, and forced the activation of extensive air defenses around the capital.
The Kremlin thus faces an election day marked not only by internal political disputes but also by Ukraine’s growing ability to launch long-range attacks on Russian territory.
Ukraine Increases Pressure on Russian Territory
Ukraine launched its «largest ever» drone barrage against Moscow during the final day of Russia’s parliamentary elections.
The attack — involving over 1,000 drones nationwide — struck a major Moscow oil refinery, sending heavy flames and smoke into the sky and leaving at least… pic.twitter.com/0G2gmmpopr
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 20, 2026
Kiev maintains that oil and logistics facilities linked to Russian forces are military targets within its defensive strategy.
Sunday’s offensive shows how the aerial front has expanded hundreds of kilometers beyond the main combat zones.
Zelensky had indicated that Ukraine would continue to develop its own capabilities to carry out longer-range attacks against infrastructure linked to the war.
The attack on Moscow marks the electoral closure and highlights how the war that began in 2022 is reaching Russian territory, infrastructure, and civilian population.