The Moscow strike was kept silent: Russian television showed virtually no trace of the attack’s aftermath.

Olga Koval22:51, 18.06.26

After a brief mention, the journalists moved on to covering Russian strikes in Ukraine.

A large plume of dark smoke rising from an industrial area, with green vegetation and buildings in the foreground.

Russian state television channels virtually ignored the massive Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow on the morning of June 18. Despite the fire at the Moscow Oil Refinery, smoke billowing over the Russian capital, and airport restrictions, federal media either ignored the incident entirely or devoted only a few seconds of airtime to it.

According to the Russian publication Vot Tak (That’s It) , the television channels Rossiya 1, Channel One, and NTV provided virtually no coverage of the attack’s aftermath. They focused primarily on other topics, including the bus incident in the Bryansk region and reports on the situation at the front.

In particular, Rossiya 1 limited itself to a brief report about the alleged downing of 180 drones and an attack on the Moscow Oil Refinery. Information about damage to residential buildings, a shopping center, and other facilities in Moscow was not broadcast.

Channel One also only briefly mentioned the attack, devoting about twenty seconds to it. The report did not show any video or photographs of the strike’s aftermath. After the brief mention, the journalists moved on to covering Russian strikes in Ukraine.

NTV didn’t report the attack on Moscow at all in its morning newscast. Only in the 10:00 AM newscast did the anchors briefly mention the downed drones and the temporary restrictions on airport operations.

According to Russian sources, the current attack was one of the largest since the start of the full-scale war. The Moscow Oil Refinery was the primary target, but damage was also reported to residential areas and other infrastructure. Due to the threat of strikes, all airports in the Russian capital have been temporarily closed.

The Security Service of Ukraine confirmed its involvement in the operation. According to the agency, the strike damaged a tank farm, a crude oil distillation unit, and a diesel fuel hydrotreater. This is the second attack on the Moscow Oil Refinery this week.

(c)UNIAN 2026