Drone Assault Targets Moscow and Its Suburbs
In the early hours of September 20, Ukrainian drones launched attacks on Moscow and the Moscow region, triggering extensive fires at the Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotnya, warehouses within the Sofyino logistics technopark, and a nearby thermal power plant. The assault lasted several hours, with the city issuing a drone threat alert at 3:19 AM. Russian monitoring channels reported that air defense systems began engaging targets at 3:51 AM, yet the offensive was still ongoing at 5:27 AM.
The Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotnya
The Kapotnya refinery ranks among Russia’s largest, supplying nearly 40% of Moscow and the surrounding region’s petroleum product demands. It processes up to 11 million tons of crude oil annually, sprawling across 284 hectares. Over 30 processing units operate on-site, including:
- catalytic cracking
- thermal cracking
- reforming
The facility produces a broad range of products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation kerosene, bitumen, sulfur, and polymers.
This refinery has previously been targeted by drone attacks, notably on June 16 and 18, 2023, which also resulted in fires. According to the military outlet 'Militarniy,' the plant is unlikely to resume full operations before the end of 2023. Moscow’s mayor, Sergey Sobyanin, described the recent raid as the
“largest ever”, highlighting that Russian air defenses intercepted around 1,600 drones within a 24-hour period.
Explosions were audible not only in Moscow but also in Voronezh and Ryazan. Due to airspace restrictions following the attacks, the airline Aeroflot has been forced to cancel and postpone flights. Locals discovered debris from a missile resembling the Ukrainian FP-5 'Flamingo.'
This nighttime strike on Moscow and its suburbs caused significant damage to critical infrastructure and underscored the escalating intensity of the Ukraine-Russia conflict. The widespread blasts heard across multiple regions suggest a growing potential for further escalation, which could severely impact civilian life and the regional economy. Moreover, the resulting limitations on air travel, evidenced by Aeroflot’s disrupted schedules, reflect the broader repercussions of the conflict on transportation networks and residents’ mobility within the area.