The Historic Attack On Moscow: New Details

Russia's air defense proved powerless.

In addition to the most common types of UAVs, which have traditionally been used in attacks on Russian rear areas, Ukrainian jet-powered missile drones were actively deployed during the strike on the Moscow oil refinery and a number of other facilities in the vicinity of the Russian capital.

This is evidenced by dozens of videos from Russian eyewitnesses who captured such UAVs on camera. This information is also confirmed by sources NV within the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

According to sources, the attack on Moscow on June 18 was one of the most successful operations involving jet-powered drone missiles, particularly in terms of its ability to penetrate Russia’s air defense system. As an NV source notes, Russian anti-aircraft missile systems around Moscow performed “poorly or very poorly.”

Ukrainian forces have previously used a number of missile drone models to strike cities in the Russian rear, including during previous attacks on Moscow. An NV source suggests that one of the reasons for the effectiveness of the June 18 attack is the depletion of the enemy’s air defense systems, particularly the use of outdated or technically limited missiles for air defense systems. For example, the Pantsir air defense missile system—one of the Russian military’s key tools for countering drones—has several different types of missiles, each with varying levels of effectiveness specifically when intercepting drones.

In general, the creation and development of Ukrainian missile drones were actively discussed in late 2024 and early 2025, when the government and manufacturers unveiled several different systems at once, such as Peklo, Palyanitsa, Bars, and others. However, according to open sources, the active use of these types of weapons began in late 2025 and in 2026.

On June 18, Moscow suffered its largest attack since the war against Ukraine began. The Russian capital was attacked by more than 180 drones, according to reports from Mayor Sergey Sobyanin.

On the morning of June 18, Moscow came under a massive drone attack. Mayor Sergey Sobyanin claims that Russian air defense forces have allegedly shot down more than 30 drones that were heading toward the capital of the aggressor country.

This is the second attack on the Moscow Oil Refinery in the last two days. On June 16, the refinery was attacked by Ukrainian drones. As noted by the Security Service of Ukraine, the UAVs damaged the “heart of the refinery”—a key crude oil refining unit.

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