"A fair response to Russian attacks": Zelenskyi confirms Ukraine's strikes in Russia
The president thanked Ukraine's defense and security forces for their coordinated efforts. He specifically praised the Security Service of Ukraine, the Unmanned Systems Forces, the Special Operations Forces, military intelligence, and a missile brigade for the precision and effectiveness of the strikes.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin could stop attacks on Moscow and other Russian cities by ending Russia's war against Ukraine.
What we know about Ukraine's strikes
According to the SBU, the strike on the Moscow Oil Refinery sparked at least four major fires. Thick black smoke billowed over the facility and could be seen across Moscow.
Ukraine's General Staff confirmed strikes on:
The General Staff also released updated assessments of earlier strikes:
Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, said the attack on Moscow involved the Unmanned Systems Forces, the Armed Forces' Special Operations Forces, the Security Service of Ukraine, and military intelligence.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, quoted by Russian media, claimed that Russian air defenses intercepted about 200 drones approaching the city during the overnight attack on June 18. Ukrainian sources, however, reported that some drones reached the area of the Moscow Oil Refinery.
Sobyanin claimed Russian forces had shot down about 194 drones since the start of the day, though air defenses were still engaged.
Russian media described the attack as the largest drone assault on Moscow in the past two years. Previous record attacks reportedly involved 81 drones on May 17 and 78 drones on June 11.
Earlier reports said waves of drone attacks hit Moscow, the surrounding region, as well as Russia's Rostov and Belgorod regions overnight and into the morning of June 18. Despite Russian claims that dozens of drones were downed, strikes hit the Moscow Oil Refinery, an oil depot in Gukovo, and an industrial site near Shebekino.
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19 of June 2026
