The Daily Populous Thursday June 18th, 2026 evening edition
Authored by abcnews.com and submitted by m1ke_osnt

Russia's Ministry of Defense said it shot down at least 555 Ukrainian drones.

Ukraine strikes Moscow oil refinery in large-scale drone attack, with Zelenskyy saying it's 'time the war ended'

The area of the Russian oil producer Gazprom Neft's Moscow oil refinery on the south-eastern outskirts of Moscow on June 18, 2026.

LONDON -- Ukraine launched hundreds of drones on Thursday targeting more than a dozen Russian regions, including Moscow, where they struck an oil refinery, sending plumes of black smoke into the air over the Russian capital.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said the country's defenses destroyed some 555 drones in the early morning hours. About 180 of those were shot down as they approached Moscow, the city’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said in an update in Russian on the Telegram messaging app.

Black smoke rises from the area of the Russian oil producer Gazprom Neft's Moscow oil refinery on the south-eastern outskirts of Moscow on June 18, 2026. -/AFP via Getty Images

Ukraine laid claim to the aerial attack, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying it marked the second time within a week that Kyiv had targeted the Moscow Oil Refinery, a sprawling facility in the city’s southeast that’s run by a subsidiary of state-owned Gazprom. Video verified by ABC News showed blasts at the Kapotnya district refinery.

"This is a fully justified response to Russian attacks on our cities and communities, and another important result of our warriors' work against facilities that sustain Russia’s war machine," Zelenskyy of Ukraine said on social media.

A woman walks outside a shopping mall as black smoke rises from the area of the Russian oil producer Gazprom Neft's Moscow oil refinery on the southeastern outskirts of Moscow on June 18, 2026. -/AFP via Getty Images

Russia on Thursday also continued its nightly long-range attacks on Ukraine, firing at least seven ballistic missiles and 239 drones at Ukraine overnight, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in an update posted on social media. Ukraine said its defenses shot down or otherwise destroyed at least 216 drones or missiles.

Thursday's Ukrainian strike ranked among the largest single-night long-range attacks undertaken by Kyiv since the war began more than four years ago. The country's military said it targeted the refinery because it is "involved in supporting the Russian military."

Zelenskyy sought in his social post to position Ukraine's long-range strikes, which have escalated in recent weeks, as a means to push Moscow toward diplomacy. He said Ukraine's Western partners have "have noted the precision and effectiveness of our mid-range strikes and long-range sanctions."

The area of the Russian oil producer Gazprom Neft's Moscow oil refinery on the south-eastern outskirts of Moscow on June 18, 2026. -/AFP via Getty Images

The attack came in the hours before defense ministers of NATO states were set to gather in Brussels, Belgium, for a summit, where Ukraine's security was among the topics to be discussed.

The Moscow public prosecutor’s office said "several" districts in the city were attacked by drones on Thursday, claiming there had been damage to apartment buildings. The office said there were casualties reported, but did not detail them.

Russia's Department of Defense said it had launched in response a drone-and-missile attack against "fuel and energy facilities used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces."

ABC News' Victoria Beaule, Helena Skinner, Anna Sergeeva, Oleksiy Pshemyskiy and Jamie Dorrington contributed to this report.

JustAhobbyish on June 18th, 2026 at 13:39 UTC »

A couple of angles to cover here.

Politics of Russia. Putin pitch was security and stability. Attacks like this are sending a message that undermines Putin power. War being on people doorstep. Perhaps this why russians have step up their attacks and sabotage missions against the west. Was not long ago two went to jail in the UK against one of prime minister former homes. Russia views itself at war and wants push just before the point of war.

Second point is Ukrainians ability to strike deep within Russia. And attacking oil supplies. Removing or reducing the capacity for war. Lots of economic activity requires fossil fuels.

Third point is Moscow is assumed to have air defence network and be best defended part of Russia.

Fourth point is Ukrainians have learnt from history. UK had Dowding System in WW2. They have copied it and built their own system. Drones are cheap artillery shells built on mass.

Fifth point west needs build it own Dowding System. Drone swarm can overwhelm traditional systems and we need to learn from Ukrainians. Considering how cheap these things are, and damage they can do. That means building a ton of resilience.

Small sabotage groups like the Russians are already doing launching a swarm against targets without a way to defend themselves. I leave you to imagine the damage.

Geopolitics here is simple. Most important ally is now Ukraine and strongest armed forces. I know what I would be doing right now making deals to produce drones and shells. And training people to use them.

pleasantmahogany_1 on June 18th, 2026 at 12:55 UTC »

The refinery strikes are the real story here, the drone numbers are just proof they're getting through consistently now.

kokosgt on June 18th, 2026 at 10:52 UTC »

I wish other subs had such high quality writing. Thank you for the extra effort, it's appreciated!