Ukraine has launched one of its largest attacks on Moscow with at least 60 drones. According to the mayor of Moscow, Sergey Sobyanin, from midnight until 05:00 today, Tuesday, June 16, Russia's air defense forces shot down a total of 60 drones that were targeting Moscow. As reported, this was one of the largest aerial attacks carried out against the capital of Russia. To date, the largest recorded attack of 2026 occurred on May 17, when 81 unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down during the first half of the day. One day earlier, on May 16, Russian air defense forces had shot down 38 drones, while on May 7, another 61 enemy UAVs were destroyed. According to data provided by the mayor of Moscow:
• On March 14, 65 drones were shot down within 24 hours.
• On March 15, another 54 were destroyed.
• On March 16, within a nine-hour period (from 02:00 to 11:00), 42 unmanned aerial vehicles were downed.
The largest attacks of recent years
On March 11, 2025, Sergey Sobyanin had announced that "the largest massive attack of enemy drones on Moscow" had been repelled. As he stated at the time: "74 drones were shot down during their approach to Moscow, while a total of hundreds of attack drones were destroyed in various defensive zones."
Furthermore:
• During the period of May 5–7, 2025, 55 drones heading toward Moscow were shot down.
• On September 22 and 23, 2025, another large-scale attack occurred, during which 46 unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed in the airspace of the Moscow Region.
According to available data, today's attack is one of the largest aerial drone strikes recorded this year against the Russian capital.
Temporary restrictions at airports
Due to the attack, temporary restrictions were imposed on flights at Moscow airports. The airports are now gradually returning to normal operations, although the Russian civil aviation authority (Rosaviatsiya) warned that there may be modifications to flight schedules.
Drone struck the Moscow oil refinery
During the attack, a Ukrainian drone caused damage to the Moscow Oil Refinery (MNPZ). Sergey Sobyanin clarified that the building sustained damage from a direct drone strike. Special crews are working at the location where the debris fell, and according to the mayor, there are no injuries. The fire that broke out at the refinery facilities was quickly brought under control. The Central Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Moscow announced that there is no longer a risk of the fire spreading. "The fire at the Moscow Oil Refinery facilities was contained immediately. Work to restore the consequences of the incident continues," the agency stated.
Announcement by the Russian Ministry of Defense
After the massive attack, the Russian Ministry of Defense issued a statement with data on air defense operations. According to the ministry, during the night of June 16, air defense systems shot down a total of 172 unmanned aerial vehicles over various regions of Russia. The Ukrainian attacks allegedly targeted 16 Russian regions, including: Astrakhan, Ryazan, Oryol, Voronezh, the Moscow Region, Krasnodar, and Crimea. Additionally, drones were shot down over the waters of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
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