On Tuesday, June 16, Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, in coordination with the Special Operations Forces, Defense Intelligence, and the Security Service, launched long-range drones that struck an oil refinery just 15 km from the Kremlin. The refinery is the Moscow oil refinery, located in the Kapotnya District.
This refinery has the capacity to process up to 11 million tons of crude oil per year, meeting 40% of Moscow's gasoline needs and 50% of its diesel needs, while also serving as the primary supplier of jet fuel to Moscow's airports. Due to its location in the heart of Moscow and its importance in meeting the capital's fuel needs, the refinery was heavily secured.
Read more: How russians Try to Jam Starlink Using a $1.5 Million System, Why It's Barely Working
The Moscow refinery is located outside the Moscow Ring Road, and the drones had to penetrate three layers of air defense, consisting primarily of Pantsir air defense systems deployed on modern platforms.
However, russia is currently establishing what appears to be a fourth layer of air defense. Therefore, taking this additional layer into account, Ukrainian drones would have had to penetrate a total of four air defense rings to reach the refinery near Moscow, not including other air defense systems deployed along the route from the Ukrainian border.
In total, the drones appear to have bypassed at least five Pantsir air defense systems deployed on elevated defensive positions around Moscow. However, determining the exact number would require knowing the drones' flight path and the coverage area of the air defense systems.
In addition to air defense systems, the Moscow oil refinery was covered with anti-drone nets. However, as can be seen from footage posted by local residents, even these measures failed to protect it, and the refinery was successfully struck. The extent of the damage is currently unknown, but the refinery will likely be able to resume operations quickly and may require additional strikes.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time Ukrainian drones have targeted the Moscow oil refinery. Strikes occurred in September 2024, March 2025, and May 2026. However, the latest strike appears to have been the most successful of all the previous ones.
Speaking of Moscow's air defense, it is worth noting that russians have recently begun increasing the number of Pantsir air defense systems on the roofs of high-rise buildings in the city for the first time since 2023.
From the Defense Express side, we urges you to join a fundraising for what is already working: One United Fundraiser: Fundraising by the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation for interceptor drones.
Read more: Since 2022, russia May Have Lost More Than 70% of Its Combat-Ready Tu-22M3 Bombers, So How Many Could Still Remain?
