Drones hit Moscow's primary fuel source just 15km from the Kremlin - video
Fire at the Moscow's largest refinery in the Kapotnya district (Photo: Exilenova+ Telegram channel)
Moscow was attacked by drones, a fire broke out at the city's largest refinery, located in the Kapotnya district, Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD), reported on June 16.
"Moscow is under attack, the Moscow refinery is burning" he wrote.
"Although [Russian dictator Vladimir] Putin has pulled practically all key air defense and missile defense to Moscow, this does not save the Russians. Putin is not a guarantor of security for Muscovites."
As noted by the Telegram channel Exilenova+, the refinery is surrounded by dozens, if not hundreds, of air defense system units.
The Moscow refinery in Kapotnya is located approximately 15 km from the Kremlin.
Kovalenko stated that the Moscow refinery processes about 11 million tons of oil per year and provides about 50% of Moscow's diesel needs.
"Restrictions of 20 liters per car had already been introduced at gas stations in Moscow after constant attacks on oil depots and other refineries. Now we expect an even greater crisis," added the CCD head.
Moscow Oil Refinery is a key fuel producer for Moscow Oblast; it is owned by PJSC Gazprom Neft.
NV is following the consequences of the attack on Moscow on June 16.
10:15 a.m. update: "The Lavra will stand for centuries! Moscow will fall!": Zelenskyy, Madyar, and SSO confirm hit on Moscow refinery
"Ukrainian long-range capability was felt this time in Moscow Oblast. A refinery at a distance of 500 kilometers was struck. I thank the warriors of the SBU, SBS, SSO, HUR, and missile forces for their effective work," President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote.
According to him, "Russia must be forced to end the war" against Ukraine, and Ukrainian long-range weapons "are one of the important components of such coercion."
"This is a fair response to Russian strikes and a response for prolonging the war, which must be ended," the President emphasized.
The Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, called the strike on the Moscow refinery "pragmatic punishment without emotions and unnecessary words" with "flashes of fuel instead of flashes of anger."
"[Kyiv Pechersk] Lavra will stand for centuries! Moscow will fall!" Brovdi emphasized, recalling Russia's strike on June 15.
According to him, within the framework of the "economy of retribution," the strike was carried out by drones of the 1st Separate Center of the USF together with the SBU, HUR, and other units of the Defense Forces.
"The retribution conveyor is working," he highlighted.
A statement from the Special Operations Forces said that deep strike units joined the strike.
"The Moscow refinery is of key importance for the Russian capital and the entire central region," the military wrote.
"The plant's design capacity is up to 12 million tons of oil per year. The refining depth is up to 85%. The plant provides up to 40% of Moscow's gasoline needs and about 50% of its diesel fuel. The refinery is also an important element of aviation fuel logistics for the Moscow aviation hub."
10 a.m. update: New footage of a massive fire at the refinery is being published on social networks, while Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin admitted only to "damage to an object on the territory" of the Moscow Oil Refinery.
9:32 a.m. update: Geolocation confirmations have appeared in OSINT public groups showing that the heart of the refinery is burning at the plant in Moscow — the ELOU-AVT-6 primary crude oil processing unit, on whose operation the refinery's productivity directly depends.
9:18 a.m. update: One of the videos released on social networks captured the moment of the strike on the refinery in Moscow.
8:25 a.m. update: According to Kovalenko, a technological unit for primary oil refining is burning at the refinery, on which the plant's ability to operate depends.
"Right now, the issue stands of suspending the Moscow refinery's operations or a critical loss of capacity," the CCD reported.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin claimed damage to the Moscow refinery in Kapotnya as a result of a drone hit.
As Radio Liberty noted, the plant in Kapotnya is among Russia's ten largest refineries and provides about 40 percent of the Moscow Oblast's needs — the capital and the oblast.
On Sept. 1, 2024, the refinery was attacked by Ukrainian drones. As Reuters reported, after the attack, the Euro+ unit, which accounts for about half of the plant's total primary oil refining capacity, was stopped.
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