A heavy, oily rain is falling over parts of Moscow this evening after what is believed to be the largest Ukrainian drone assault yet struck an oil refinery on the city’s outskirts. Witnesses described a dark, sticky downpour coating cars, streets and gardens in a greasy film as thick smoke billowed from the damaged facility. The attack has reignited fears of an unfolding environmental disaster, with local campaign groups warning that toxic fallout could contaminate soil and water for miles around.
The strikes, which began in the early hours, targeted the Moscow Oil Refinery in the Kapotnya district a sprawling plant that produces fuel for the capital region. Officials reported that drones hit several storage tanks, triggering a massive blaze that took hours to contain. Emergency services warned residents to stay indoors and close windows as a plume of black smoke drifted across densely populated areas. By mid-afternoon, a fine, oily mist began falling, leaving a residue that residents said smelled strongly of petrol.
“It’s like the sky is crying crude,” a local teacher told reporters, holding up a rain-streaked handkerchief stained black. “My children are coughing. We don’t know if it’s safe to breathe.” Public health experts have voiced alarm, noting that the rain contains benzene, sulphur compounds and heavy metals from the burning fuel. Prolonged exposure could cause respiratory problems, skin irritation and long-term environmental damage.
Independent monitors have already recorded elevated levels of airborne particulate matter near the refinery. The Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring has not yet issued a full assessment, but activist groups are demanding an independent investigation. “The government must act now to contain the spread of pollutants,” said Lena Volkova, a spokesperson for the Moscow Environmental Coalition. “This is not just a military incident. It is a toxic event that will affect ordinary people for years.”
The attack marks a significant escalation in Ukraine’s campaign to disrupt Russian energy infrastructure. Western military analysts estimate that more than 100 drones were involved, a substantial increase from previous raids. The refinery, which processes about 11 million tonnes of crude annually, has been a frequent target, but never before has the secondary effect of rain carrying pollutants been so widely reported.
Kremlin officials swiftly condemned the strike as a “barbaric act of terrorism” and vowed to bolster air defences around critical sites. However, for residents of Kapotnya and neighbouring districts, reassurances ring hollow. Many families have already begun migrating to temporary shelters, fearing that the long-term consequences of this black rain could rival those of industrial accidents in recent memory.
The United Nations has called for restraint and for both sides to avoid targeting civilian infrastructure that could cause environmental harm. But as the oily rain continues to fall, the human cost of this war is once again measured not just in lives lost, but in the slow poisoning of the land itself.
