Drones hit refinery in Moscow
Two people died in the Moscow region as civilians were also killed in the Kyiv region.
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A large drone attack hit an oil refinery in Moscow on Sunday. Russian authorities attributed the attack to Ukraine, but at the time of the reporting consulted, Kyiv had not responded to that specific attack.
According to Moscow mayor Sergej Sobyanin, more than 1,600 drones had been shot down on various fronts since Saturday, 450 of which were allegedly flying towards Moscow. Those figures come from Russian authorities and cannot be fully independently verified. Reuters reporters heard explosions in Moscow and saw smoke rising from the refinery site. The precise extent of the damage to the facility was still unclear on Sunday morning.
According to governor Andrej Vorobyov, two people were killed in the wider Moscow region. In the Ramenskoye district, about 400 residents, including seventy children, were evacuated from a 21-storey apartment building. Homes were also damaged. In Moscow itself, the mayor reported no fatalities. According to him, one drone reached an apartment complex and several drones landed on the oil refinery site.
Sobyanin said the attack was intended to disrupt the final day of Russia's parliamentary elections. This is a claim by the Russian authorities and not an independently established motive. Reuters reported that Ukraine had not yet commented on the attack. For that reason, VECTOR does not present either Ukrainian responsibility or the presumed objective as independently established facts, despite the attack's large scale and the pattern of previous Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Russian violence against Ukraine continued. According to Ukrainian regional authorities, four people were killed by Russian drone attacks in the Kyiv region, including three children. A mother and her two three-year-old children were reportedly killed when a drone struck a home, according to Ukrainian emergency services. Another girl died after a separate attack. The regional governor reported damage at 31 locations in five districts.
The reciprocal attacks show how deeply energy infrastructure and long-range drones have become part of the war. Reuters writes that Ukrainian attacks have hit a significant portion of Russia's refining capacity and contributed to fuel problems in several regions. Russia, in turn, systematically attacks Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. Both governments say they do not deliberately target civilians, but the air attacks are causing civilian casualties on both sides.
The events came shortly after US president Donald Trump said that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop attacks on each other's energy facilities. Reuters observes that such attacks have nevertheless continued. Without a jointly published and verifiable arrangement, it remains unclear exactly which agreements both countries recognise. What is certain is that the air war again caused casualties and damage on both sides on 20 September.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Civilians were killed on both sides in drone attacks.
- The refinery in Moscow was hit, but the precise damage was still unknown.
Left
Arguments This approach primarily emphasises the protection of civilians, compliance with the laws of war and the risk that increasingly deep reciprocal attacks could cause escalation. At the same time, Ukraine's right to self-defence is recognised.
Values human security, international law, limiting escalation and diplomacy
Consequences More attacks on energy and urban areas could affect civilians more severely and make negotiations more difficult.
Centre
Arguments The centrist position combines military support for Ukraine's self-defence with pressure for verifiable agreements on targets and infrastructure. Claims by both warring parties should be critically and separately verified.
Values alliance credibility, proportionality, verification and diplomacy
Consequences Agreements without oversight or reciprocity have little value and can quickly collapse.
Right
Arguments A right-wing, security-focused approach emphasises that Russia must bear costs for its war and that attacks on infrastructure supporting the Russian war economy could have a strategic effect. At the same time, protecting civilians remains legally relevant.
Values deterrence, national security, military effectiveness and sovereignty
Consequences Stronger pressure could reduce Russia's capacity, but also increases the risk of retaliation and further escalation.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
Directly observable consequences and official casualty figures have been separated from claims about the number of drones and motives. Where independent verification is lacking, this is explicitly stated.
- confirmed An oil refinery in Moscow was hit. — Reuters saw smoke coming from the refinery and Russian authorities reported impacts. source
- confirmed Two people were killed in the Moscow region. — This was confirmed by Reuters on the basis of regional authorities. source
- uncertain Russia allegedly shot down more than 1,600 drones. — The figure comes from the mayor of Moscow and is not fully independently verifiable. source
- confirmed Four people, including three children, died in the Kyiv region. — Reuters based this on regional authorities and emergency services. source
Editor's note
Figures from Russian authorities on intercepted drones have been presented as claims by those authorities. Reuters' observation was also used for the physical fire at the refinery. The supplied headlines likewise linked the attacks on Russia and Kyiv.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „oekraïne rusland”
- AD — „oekraïne rusland”
- de Volkskrant — „oekraïne rusland”