Moscow and the surrounding region came under a major drone barrage on Sunday as Russia’s parliamentary election entered its final day, with Russian authorities reporting at least two deaths and damage to an oil refinery.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said more than 1,600 drones had been intercepted and shot down since Saturday, including around 450 that were headed towards Moscow. Russian authorities described the assault as the largest drone attack on the capital since the war in Ukraine began.
The attacks came on the third and final day of Russia’s three-day parliamentary election, the first such vote since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Two killed in Moscow region
Moscow regional Governor Andrey Vorobyov said at least two people were killed in separate locations — a 44-year-old woman and a 74-year-old man, according to Reuters and AP. AP also reported that 20 people were wounded in the wider Moscow region.
A drone strike also caused a fire at a 21-storey residential building in the Ramenskoye district, prompting the evacuation of around 400 people, including 70 children, according to Russian authorities.
Several homes were also damaged in the Moscow region.
Moscow refinery damaged
A facility at the Moscow Oil Refinery was damaged after several drones reached the premises, Sobyanin said.
He said emergency services were working at the site and that no casualties had been reported at the refinery. Reuters witnesses reported hearing explosions and seeing smoke rising from the facility.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine’s long-range strikes had hit one of Russia’s key oil industry facilities and a logistics facility in the Moscow region.
“Our long-range responses had a very significant impact in the Moscow region last night,” Zelensky said, according to Reuters. Ukraine has not formally claimed responsibility for the wider barrage.
Russia accuses Ukraine of targeting election
Sobyanin accused Ukraine of attempting to disrupt Russia’s parliamentary election, saying the attack was planned for that purpose.
“The unprecedented attack was clearly planned with the aim of disrupting the elections,” he said, while claiming the attempt had failed.
The allegation comes as Russians cast ballots in a three-day parliamentary election that began on September 18.
The election is the first parliamentary vote since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Reuters reported that most anti-war candidates were barred from contesting the election, while the ruling United Russia party is expected to retain its dominance.
Zelensky praises strikes
Zelensky said the strikes had caused significant damage in the Moscow region and linked the targets to Russia’s war effort.
He said oil and logistics facilities had been hit, describing the damage as a financial blow to Russia’s military campaign.
Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian energy infrastructure during the war. Reuters has reported that repeated attacks on Russian refineries have disrupted fuel production and contributed to shortages and higher fuel prices in parts of the country.
Wider attacks reported
The drone barrage came amid a broader escalation in long-range strikes between Russia and Ukraine.
Russian authorities also reported a Ukrainian drone strike on a bus in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine’s Kherson region that killed two people, including an election commission member.
Separately, Ukrainian authorities said a Russian overnight drone attack on the Kyiv region killed four civilians, including three children.
The latest attacks came despite US President Donald Trump’s earlier statement that Russia and Ukraine had agreed not to target each other’s energy infrastructure. Reuters reported that strikes on energy facilities have continued despite that announcement.
