Hundreds of Drones Attack Moscow, Killing Two and Damaging an Oil Refinery

Al-Taj News – Russian authorities reported that Moscow and its surrounding areas came under attack by hundreds of drones on Sunday morning, killing two people and damaging a major oil refinery, on the final day of Russia’s legislative elections.

Moscow Region Governor Andrey Vorobyov said that 249 drones had been intercepted in an attack that caused damage in several residential areas.

He wrote on Telegram shortly after 3:00 a.m. GMT that “the attack is ongoing,” noting that two people had been killed: a 44-year-old woman and an elderly man in two different areas.

At a third site targeted in the attack, 400 people were evacuated after a fire broke out when a drone crashed into a building, according to Vorobyov.

Meanwhile, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in a series of posts on Telegram that air defenses had shot down at least 186 drones.

The source of the drones was not specified, but the attacks come as Ukraine has intensified its strikes deep inside Russian territory in recent months in response to Russia’s escalation of its attacks, particularly targeting energy facilities and logistical infrastructure.

Sobyanin added that “a facility at the Moscow oil refinery was damaged,” stressing that no casualties had been reported at present and that emergency response teams were at the site.

The refinery had previously been hit by Ukrainian strikes in recent months.

The attack took place on the third and final day of Russia’s legislative elections, in which President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party is expected to win.

The elections are also taking place despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s confirmation on Monday that Ukraine and Russia had pledged to stop targeting energy infrastructure in both countries.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy affirmed that Kyiv was ready to take “de-escalatory steps” if Russia did the same, in a gesture the Kremlin described as a “good idea.”