Ukraine launches 1,000+ drones at Russia; two dead, refinery damaged

Ukrainian forces conducted a large-scale drone attack on Russia in the early hours of September 20, 2026, firing over 1,000 unmanned aerial vehicles, with hundreds directed at Moscow, according to Russian officials and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defenses intercepted more than 1,600 drones across the region since Saturday, including 450 approaching the capital, describing the assault as "unprecedented." The attack damaged the Moscow Oil Refinery and multiple residential buildings across Moscow Oblast.

The toll included two confirmed deaths and multiple injuries. In Sofyino, a drone struck a three-story apartment building, killing a 44-year-old woman and injuring five others, including two children who were hospitalized. In Orekhovo-Zuyevo district, an elderly man died when a drone destroyed and ignited a private house. In Ramenskoye district, drone debris triggered a fire on the roof of a 21-story residential building, forcing the evacuation of approximately 400 people, including 70 children. At least 20 vehicles were damaged. Moscow Oblast Governor Andrey Vorobyev reported that air defense forces and electronic warfare assets shot down and suppressed 249 drones across 17 municipalities between 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m.

The attack disrupted Moscow's airport operations significantly. Over 30 flights were unable to land in Moscow on Sunday for security reasons. Domodedovo, Zhukovsky, Vnukovo, and Sheremetyevo airports implemented temporary restrictions on aircraft operations. A Turkish Airlines flight (TK407) from Istanbul to Moscow's Vnukovo Airport returned to Istanbul after entering Russian airspace, and at least 35 Turkish-operated flights to and from Vnukovo were delayed or canceled. Diverted flights headed to Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Cheboksary, St. Petersburg, Samara, and Nizhnekamsk.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv used domestically made Flamingo and Pelican missiles alongside drones to target oil and logistics facilities. "These are billions of dollars that sustain the war machine," Zelenskyy posted on social media. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed it shot down 1,100 Ukrainian drones across Russian territory, Crimea, and the Black Sea. Moscow officials characterized the attack as timed to disrupt Russia's three-day State Duma parliamentary elections, with Sobyanin stating the "unprecedented attack" aimed to interfere with voting but "the enemy failed." The attack coincided with the final day of Russia's first wartime parliamentary elections since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine began.