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Date: September 20, 2026
Reporter: Emilly Jordan
MOSCOW — Ukraine launched what Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described as the biggest drone attack yet on the Russian capital on Sunday, striking the Moscow region as Russian voters headed to polling stations on the final day of a three-day parliamentary election.
The large-scale attack killed two people in the Moscow region and two others in the Russian-held part of Ukraine’s Kherson region, including an election official, according to Russian authorities and election officials. A facility at Moscow’s oil refinery was also damaged, adding to pressure on Russia’s energy infrastructure during a period of continuing attacks between the two countries.
Sobyanin said Russian air-defence systems had repelled what he called an “unprecedented” attack and alleged that the operation had been planned to interfere with the parliamentary election. He said the attack had failed to prevent the voting process from continuing. Reuters could not independently verify the Russian mayor’s assessment of the purpose of the attack.
The assault came as Russia held the final day of its first parliamentary election since President Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The election is taking place against the backdrop of a war that has now entered its fifth year, with the Kremlin presenting the vote as an opportunity to demonstrate national unity and support for Russian troops.
Russian authorities reported that more than 1,600 drones had been intercepted since Saturday, including about 450 that were heading toward Moscow, according to Sobyanin. Several drones reached the grounds of the Moscow oil refinery, while another struck an apartment building in the wider Moscow region.
The attack caused damage in residential areas as well. In the Ramenskoye district outside Moscow, authorities said about 400 residents, including 70 children, were evacuated from a 21-storey apartment building. Several homes were also damaged. Reuters witnesses in Moscow reported hearing explosions and seeing smoke rising from the direction of the refinery.
The Moscow refinery has previously been targeted during the war. The facility processed about 11.6 million metric tons of crude oil in 2024 and produced millions of tons of gasoline and diesel, according to data cited by Reuters. Repeated attacks on Russian refineries have contributed to disruptions in fuel supplies, higher prices and shortages in parts of the country.
Ukraine had not immediately issued a formal statement accepting responsibility for the specific attacks reported by Russian authorities. Both Russia and Ukraine have maintained that they do not intentionally target civilians, although attacks on energy infrastructure and other facilities have repeatedly affected civilian areas.
The drone assault also occurred amid continuing political tensions surrounding Russia’s parliamentary election. The ruling United Russia party is expected to retain its dominant position in the State Duma, while most anti-war candidates have been prevented from competing. Opposition figures and critics of the Kremlin have faced restrictions under laws that criminalize what Russian authorities describe as discrediting the armed forces or spreading false information about the military.
Russian election officials said voting had continued despite cyberattacks against Moscow’s online voting system reported on Saturday. Central Election Commission figures showed turnout had passed 50% by early Sunday afternoon, according to Russian news agency Interfax.
The election has also been rejected by Ukraine, which has suspended its own elections under martial law. Kyiv has described the Russian vote as illegitimate, particularly because Russia is conducting voting in Ukrainian territories that Moscow controls or claims to have annexed.
President Vladimir Putin had urged Russians to participate in the election and portrayed the vote as an expression of support for the country’s military and national interests. The Kremlin has described the war as part of a broader confrontation with Western countries and has argued that heightened security measures and restrictions on political activity are necessary during the conflict.
The timing of the drone attack is particularly significant because the Kremlin is expected to use the election results as an indication of domestic political support for Putin’s policies and the war in Ukraine. Russian officials have accused Ukraine of trying to disrupt the vote, although Reuters said it could not independently verify some of the claims surrounding earlier alleged attempts to interfere with the election.
The attacks also underscore the continuing vulnerability of Russia’s energy infrastructure. Ukrainian strikes on refineries and other energy facilities have increasingly affected Russia’s ability to process crude oil into refined products, contributing to fuel-market disruptions across the country.
Initial election results were expected to begin emerging later on Sunday, with more complete results anticipated on Monday. The parliamentary vote and the major drone assault therefore unfolded simultaneously, linking Russia’s domestic political process with the continuing military confrontation with Ukraine.