Ukrainian Drones Hit Moscow Oil Refinery Supplying 40% of Capital Region’s Fuel, Video

Ukrainian drones struck the Moscow Oil Refinery in the Kapotnya district of the Russian capital, sparking a fire at the facility, according to the OSINT community Exilenova+, which published photos and videos from the scene on June 16.

Smoke from the fire was visible from several kilometers away. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the strike.

“This time, the Moscow region felt the reach of Ukraine’s long-range capabilities. An oil refinery was hit at a distance of 500 kilometers. I thank the warriors of the Security Service of Ukraine, the Unmanned Systems Forces, the Special Operations Forces, the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, and the Missile Forces for their effective work,” he wrote.

Based on footage from the site, OSINT analysts from world.militares identified the burning section as the ELOU AVT-6 unit. Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, later confirmed the information.

The ELOU AVT-6 unit is used for the preparation and primary processing of crude oil. Its main function is to separate crude oil into basic fractions, or distillates, which are then used for further fuel production.

The Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotnya is one of Russia’s 10 largest refineries and supplies around 40% of the Moscow region’s demand for petroleum products, including the city of Moscow and the surrounding region.

The refinery’s current processing capacity is around 11 million tons of oil per year. Despite its scale, the facility is considered one of the most compact refineries in its class, covering only 284 hectares.

The production complex includes more than 30 technological units, including catalytic and thermal cracking units, as well as reforming facilities.

The plant produces AI-80EK, AI-92EK, and AI-95EK gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation kerosene, bitumen, sulfur, and various polymers.

Earlier, reports emerged that Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries had driven wholesale jet fuel prices to record highs and forced airports across several Russian regions to ration aircraft refueling.

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