On June 18, 2026, Ukraine launched its largest-ever drone assault on Moscow since the start of the full-scale war, striking the Gazprom Neft Moscow oil refinery and damaging key technological units, causing multiple fires and black smoke across the capital ![]()
. Russia retaliated swiftly, vowing regular "massive group strikes" against Ukraine
.
Russia's Retaliatory Strikes
- Immediate retaliation: On June 19, 2026 — the day after the Moscow drone attack — Russia intensified bombardments across Ukraine, killing three people including an eight-year-old girl, according to Ukrainian officials
.
- Broader pattern of reprisals: This exchange is part of a recurring cycle. After a major Ukrainian drone attack on Russian airbases in early June 2025, Russia launched a massive drone and missile assault on Kyiv and other regions that killed five people and injured 80
. In November 2025, a Russian barrage killed eight (six in Kyiv, two in the south) and hit energy infrastructure
.
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