Ukraine strikes Moscow oil refinery as Russia bombards Kyiv with ballistic missiles

Ukraine launched a major drone strike on a Moscow oil refinery on June 18, 2026, setting the facility ablaze and prompting flight restrictions at three Moscow airports. Russia simultaneously attacked Kyiv with ballistic missiles and drones in multiple waves overnight. Ukrainian drones also struck a key railway bridge in occupied Crimea used to supply Russian front-line forces.

Ukraine and Russia exchanged significant blows in the early hours of Thursday, June 18, 2026, in one of the most intense nights of mutual strikes in recent weeks, with Kyiv targeted by ballistic missiles and Moscow waking to explosions and fires at a major oil refinery.

Moscow oil refinery hit by drones

Ukrainian attack drones breached Russian air defences and struck a Moscow-area oil refinery in the early morning, setting it ablaze. While several drones were intercepted on approach, multiple broke through and hit the facility, according to open-source intelligence channels monitoring the strike. Residents across Moscow reported explosions and fires in several locations, with footage shared on social media showing flames engulfing the upper floors of at least one high-rise building.

Temporary flight restrictions were imposed at three major Moscow airports, Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky, following the attack.

A separate drone strike was also reported in Gukovo, a city in Russia's Rostov Oblast, just kilometres from the occupied Luhansk Oblast border. According to the Telegram channel Exilenova-Plus, Ukrainian drones struck a fuel storage depot in the town, sparking a large fire that locals documented in videos and photos circulated online.

Kyiv hit by multiple missile waves

Russia struck the Ukrainian capital Kyiv with ballistic missiles and drones in the same overnight period. The first explosions were heard around 1:30 a.m., with the head of Kyiv's military administration confirming the city had been hit by a missile attack. Air raid sirens were lifted around 2:39 a.m., only to sound again shortly after as Russian drones appeared over the city, prompting fresh explosions.

The full extent of the damage in Kyiv remained unclear as of early morning. Explosions were also reported in Sumy and Poltava, with Russian attacks continuing across multiple Ukrainian regions into the early hours. The Kyiv Independent reported the situation remained fluid.

Crimea railway bridge targeted

Ukrainian drones also struck a strategically significant railway bridge over the North Crimean Canal near the village of Rozdolne on the Kerch-Dzhankoi railway line in occupied Crimea. Approximately 20 explosions were heard by local residents, and fire broke out on the bridge, according to the Crimean Wind social media channel.

The bridge is part of a supply route Russia uses to transport military equipment and fuel to its forces on the southern front. A nearby road bridge was also reportedly targeted, though the extent of any damage there was not immediately clear.

Trump: Ukraine is doing pretty well

Speaking on Wednesday, Donald Trump offered a notably positive assessment of Ukraine's battlefield performance despite Russia's larger military resources. «They're doing pretty well. Russia is a big country. You know, it has a much bigger army. But the Ukrainians are holding up incredibly. They have great weapons, and don't forget, it's our equipment. And they are really showing great results,» Trump said.

Trump also raised the possibility of reinstating oil sanctions against Russia, which had previously been paused amid tensions with Iran. «Yeah, maybe I'll bring them back. I wanted to make sure the price of oil stayed as low as possible. Now that the oil price has come down a lot, maybe I'll put them back. When you see those numbers, the oil price is very low. Thank you,» the US president said.