Mass drone barrage on Moscow kills two

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

Plumes of smoke rise from fires (right) at an oil refinery following what the authorities say is a Ukrainian drone strike in the course of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, in Moscow, Russia on September, 20, 2026. | Photo Credit: Reuters

Hundreds of drones targeting Moscow and its surrounding region killed at least two people and damaged a major refinery on the final day of the country's parliamentary elections, the authorities said on Sunday (September 20, 2026).

The capital's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that more than 1,600 drones had been intercepted and shot down, 450 of which were aimed at Moscow.

He accused Ukraine of attempting to interfere with a tightly controlled three-day election that is set to tighten President Vladimir Putin's 26-year grip on power.

Moscow regional Governor Andrey Vorobyov said on the social media platform that at least two people were killed — a 44-year-old woman and an elderly man — in two separate locations.

A fire triggered by a drone crashing into a 21-storey building also led to 400 people being evacuated, Mr. Vorobyov said. He did not specify the drones' origin.

The attacks come at a time when Kyiv stepped up its long-range drone strike campaign against Russia in recent months, particularly against energy infrastructure to target a vital source of the Kremlin's revenue to fund its war effort, now in its fifth year.

A facility on the territory of the Moscow Oil Refinery has been damaged, Mr. Sobyanin added, noting that no casualties had been reported so far and that emergency services were on the scene.

This major refinery has already been hit by Ukrainian strikes in recent months.

The latest strike comes after U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday (September 14) that Ukraine and Russia had agreed not to target each other's energy facilities.

It also comes after Russians began voting on Friday (September 18) in the country's first parliamentary election since Moscow sent troops to Ukraine in February 2022, setting off a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands.

Only parties that support Mr. Putin and the Kremlin's military campaign have been registered to run. Moscow has also organised voting in occupied Ukraine.

While few Russians doubt Mr. Putin's United Russia party will cruise to victory again, the vote offers a gauge of public support for the war.