Over 400 Ukrainian Drones Attack Moscow and Surrounding Areas on Final Day of Russia’s Parliamentary Election- At Least 2 Killed
Moscow, Russia | September 20, 2026 | The Global Journal
A large-scale drone attack has taken place in Moscow and surrounding regions on the final day of Russia’s parliamentary election. Russian authorities claim that at least two people were killed in the attacks and that a major oil refinery in Moscow was damaged.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that more than 1,600 drones had been intercepted and shot down across various parts of Russia since Saturday. Of these, around 450 were reportedly heading toward Moscow, he said.
Sobyanin described the attack as one of the largest drone attacks on Moscow to date and accused Ukraine of carrying out the strikes with the aim of disrupting the voting process on the final day of the election. However, he said the attempt to interfere with the election had failed.
Deaths and Damage
According to Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov, at least two people were killed in two separate incidents. In addition, around 400 people were evacuated to safety after a drone struck and set fire to a 21-story residential building.
A facility at an oil refinery in Moscow was also hit by a drone. Russian authorities said emergency service personnel were working at the site. Reuters witnesses reported hearing explosions and seeing smoke rising from the refinery area.
Attack on Final Day of Election
Russia’s three-day parliamentary election began on September 18 and is scheduled to conclude on September 20. It is the country’s first parliamentary election since Russia launched its full-scale military operation in Ukraine in 2022.
Russian authorities have blamed Ukraine for the attacks, but Kyiv did not immediately comment on the latest strikes. Independent verification of the various claims surrounding the attacks remains difficult amid the ongoing war.
Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine have both carried out attacks targeting each other’s energy infrastructure in recent months. The latest attack came as U.S. President Donald Trump had claimed that the two countries had agreed not to target each other’s energy facilities.
