Hundreds of Drones Strike Moscow as Russia Holds Elections
Russian citizens were heading to polling stations when the skies over Moscow faced one of the largest waves of drone attacks since the war in Ukraine began. On the final day of parliamentary elections, Sunday (20/09/2026), hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles were reported moving towards the Russian capital, amidst audible explosions and smoke rising from an oil refinery.
The Russian government described the scale of the attack directed at Moscow as unprecedented. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that Russian defences had intercepted more than 1,600 drones since Saturday, with approximately 450 of them reportedly heading towards the capital.
At least three people have died in the Moscow region, according to Russian authorities. A facility at the Moscow oil refinery also sustained damage, while a drone struck an apartment building, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents.
Le Monde noted that the attack occurred as Russia entered the final day of its first parliamentary elections since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. The war, which for years has primarily taken place within Ukrainian territory, was felt directly around Russia’s political centre on polling day.
The timing of the attack led Moscow to immediately link it to the elections. Sobyanin accused the operation of being intentionally carried out to disrupt the voting process, although these allegations of motive originate from the Russian side and are not accompanied by independent evidence regarding the political objectives of the attack.
“This unprecedented attack was clearly planned with the aim of disrupting the elections,” said Sobyanin. He added that, according to the Russian government, the attempt was unsuccessful.
Moscow Skies Filled with Drones
The scale of the attack has become a primary concern. Reuters described it as the largest Ukrainian drone attack reported against the Moscow region to date, while Al Jazeera assessed the wave as one of the largest single-day attacks against Russia since the war began.
Russian air defences intercepted the majority of the drones, but several unmanned aerial vehicles managed to reach their targets. Sobyanian stated that some drones reached the Moscow oil refinery complex and another struck an apartment building.
The Governor of the Moscow region, Andrey Vorobyov, stated that two people died in separate attacks and a third victim later died in hospital. In the Ramenskoye district, approximately 400 people, including 70 children, were evacuated from a 21-storey apartment building after the attack caused fires and damage.
Reuters reported that its correspondent in Moscow heard explosions and saw smoke rising from the refinery area. The refinery is not a new target, as it has been hit by Ukrainian attacks several times previously.
The facility holds significant economic importance. Based on the latest data cited by Reuters, the Moscow refinery processed approximately 11.6 million tonnes of oil in 2024 and produces millions of tonnes of petrol and diesel.
Attacks on refineries are also part of a broader Ukrainian strategy. In recent months, Kyiv has increased strikes on Russian energy facilities with the aim of pressuring the revenues and fuel supplies that are believed to sustain Moscow’s war operations.
The impact is already being felt. Reuters reported that attacks on oil processing facilities have reduced some of Russia’s refining capacity, triggering fuel shortages, rising fuel prices, and queues in several regions.