Refinery Inferno Near Kremlin

Ukraine’s drones have hit Russia’s oil refineries so hard that fuel shortages are spreading across the country — and Russia’s own government has finally admitted it.

Story Highlights

Ukraine struck the Moscow Oil Refinery twice in one week, setting off massive fires just 10 miles from the Kremlin.
Nearly all major oil refineries in central Russia have been forced to shut down or cut output after repeated drone strikes.
Russia’s own Energy Ministry admitted the drone attacks caused fuel shortages in southern regions, including Crimea.
Gas stations across Russia began rationing fuel, and one retailer raised gasoline prices 19% in a single week.

Ukraine Hits Moscow’s Main Refinery — Twice in One Week

On June 18, 2026, Ukrainian drones struck the Moscow Oil Refinery for the second time in three days. The facility sits just 10 miles from the Kremlin in the city’s southeastern Kapotnya district. The blast was powerful enough to blow the lid off an oil storage tank, sending it spinning into the air. Thick black smoke covered the Moscow skyline for hours. At least 17 people were injured in the broader attack across the city.^[3]

Russia’s air defenses shot down 555 Ukrainian drones overnight, with nearly 200 intercepted near Moscow alone.^[2] That was roughly double the number of drones Russia launched at Ukraine during the same period. Still, enough got through to set the refinery ablaze and shut down all four major Moscow airports for much of the day. State airline Aeroflot canceled more than 170 flights and delayed over 110 others.^[13]

Russia’s Fuel Supply Is Cracking Under the Pressure

The June 18 strike was not a one-off. By late May, nearly all major oil refineries in central Russia had been forced to halt or cut production following months of Ukrainian drone attacks. The combined capacity of those shut-down or reduced facilities topped 83 million metric tons per year — about a quarter of Russia’s total refining output. Those plants supply more than 30% of Russia’s gasoline and nearly 25% of its diesel.^[10]

The damage is showing up at the pump. Gas stations across multiple Russian regions started rationing fuel. About one in four stations put limits on how much customers could buy.^[11] Russia also banned gasoline exports in April, a ban set to last through July. Industry sources told Reuters that Russia now plans to import fuel by sea — a remarkable situation for the world’s third-largest oil producer.^[3]

Russia’s Own Government Confirms the Problem

For months, Russian officials downplayed the damage. That changed in early June. Russia’s Energy Ministry released a statement admitting that “fuel and energy sector enterprises have faced an uptick in enemy aerial attacks, leading to temporary difficulties with fuel supplies in several southern regions.”^[12] It was the first time Russian authorities directly linked Ukraine’s drone campaign to production cuts and shortages. Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak had earlier admitted oil output dropped due to “unscheduled maintenance” at refineries — without explaining why the maintenance was needed.^[15]

🟪 RUSSIA’S FUEL PROBLEMS ARE GETTING HARDER TO HIDE

👀 Reports from across Russia suggest fuel shortages and supply disruptions are becoming an increasingly serious issue, with regional officials, motorists, and industry observers warning that the situation is worsening.

The… pic.twitter.com/wdI8Hvxv58

— Gianl1974 (@Gianl1974) June 19, 2026

The numbers back up the admission. Industry data from tracking firm Kpler showed Russia’s offline refinery capacity in May was 1.2 to 1.3 million barrels per day higher than a year earlier, with a significant share caused directly by drone strikes. Russian diesel production fell 10% in May, following a 10% drop in April.^[15] Meanwhile, Moscow’s federal anti-monopoly agency demanded an explanation from a major fuel retailer after gasoline prices jumped 19% in a single week.^[3] Russia started the war as an energy giant. Ukraine’s drones are turning that strength into a liability.