Ukraine launched its largest drone attack on the Moscow region since the war began, causing damage to the region's main oil refinery and igniting fires in residential buildings.
Sergei Sobyanin, mayor of Moscow, stated that Ukraine conducted its biggest drone attack on the Moscow region overnight from Saturday to Sunday (20 Sep 2026), with air defenses shooting down as many as 450 drones. Nevertheless, several areas were damaged, resulting in 2 deaths and 20 injuries.
Ukrainian drones also damaged the Moscow region's main oil refinery, affecting three critical units. Additionally, a cargo transport center and one residential building were damaged.
As a result of the attack, Moscow's two main airports, Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo, temporarily suspended and restricted flights overnight before resuming operations Sunday morning.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine's Ministry of Defense confirmed the refinery attack, describing it as a strike against multi-billion-dollar economic resources supporting Russia's war effort.
The attack also occurred on the final day of Russia's parliamentary elections, with Moscow authorities stating that Ukraine's strike aimed to "disrupt" the election process.
Meanwhile, Russia continued missile and drone attacks on Ukraine. Ukrainian officials reported at least 9 deaths, including 3 children, from Russian strikes in the Kyiv, Sumy, and Kherson regions on Saturday.
Both Russia and Ukraine have intensified attacks on each other's energy and transportation infrastructure over recent months, despite former U.S. President Donald Trump having posted that both sides agreed to avoid targeting energy facilities.
Last Friday, Donald Trump signed a new economic sanctions law against Russia, allowing the U.S. to impose customs duties up to 100% on major Russian oil and gas customers such as China and India. This law will take effect within 30 days.
Follow international news:https://www.thairath.co.th/news/foreign
Source:bbc