Moscow refinery ablaze as Ukraine launches biggest attack on Russian capital in years

War in UkraineMoscow ablaze as Ukraine launches biggest attack on Russian capital in yearsWaves of Ukrainian drones hit a major oil refinery for the second time this week, disrupting flights and sending thick clouds of black smoke rising over the city Thursday morning.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Black smoke rises from the area of the Moscow oil refinery on Thursday.AFP via Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 18, 2026, 6:44 AM EDTBy Yuliya TalmazanThe Russian capital was ablaze Thursday, after Ukraine launched what appeared to be its largest attack on the city since the Kremlin invaded its neighbor more than four years ago.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Waves of Ukrainian drones hit a major oil refinery in Moscow for the second time this week, sending thick clouds of black smoke and flames rising over the city through the morning. Local commercial flights were also disrupted.Kyiv cast the attack as revenge for strikes on a historic monastery that had drawn global condemnation. It comes as President Donald Trump signals renewed engagement with the conflict, boosting European hopes that he may back tougher action against Russia to try and force it to the negotiation table.A video geolocated by NBC News showed a drone flying into a plume of smoke over the Kapotnya refinery, which is in the southeast of Moscow and just 10 miles away from the Kremlin. The facility is seen already engulfed in flames, as air defense rockets are fired at the drone before it crashes on site, throwing up a ball of fire. Ukraine has been striking oil facilities deep inside Russia after a leap in drone capabilities, an intensifying campaign that Kyiv’s allies say has given the country “new momentum” in the war. It has led to widespread damage to energy infrastructure, helping to spark a fuel crisis centered in occupied Crimea.Moscow came under one of the largest Ukrainian drone attacks since the...