Ukraine Launches Year's Largest Drone Barrage, Hits Moscow Oil Refinery During Russian Election

Ukraine launched its largest drone and missile barrage of 2026 overnight into September 20, the final day of voting in Russia's parliamentary election, with the Ukrainian General Staff naming the Gazpromneft-Moscow Oil Refinery in the capital's Kapotnya district — one of Russia's largest, supplying about 40% of Moscow's fuel — as the main target. The strike, using domestically-produced Flamingo cruise missiles and Pelican drones among other systems, damaged the refinery's AVT-6 primary refining unit, integrated oil refining unit, and isomerization unit, sparking large fires. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said around 450 drones approached the capital and were mostly shot down, calling the barrage 'clearly planned with the aim of disrupting the elections'; Russian authorities reported at least three people killed across the Moscow region, including a woman in a Sofyino apartment strike and a man killed in a private home, plus roughly 400 people evacuated after drone debris sparked a fire in a 21-story Ramenskoye building. President Zelensky said 'our long-range responses had a very significant impact in the Moscow region last night,' while Ukraine's General Staff said striking such facilities 'constitutes Ukraine's exercise of its inalienable right to self-defense.'