What happened around Moscow before 22 September 2026?

What had unfolded in the days leading up to 22 September 2026, as security and sanctions news converged? Two strands stood out: a very large Ukrainian strike on Moscow Oblast, and a European Union decision on sanctions that did not hold.

The strike on Moscow Oblast

On 20 September 2026, Ukrainian forces launched a massive drone attack on Moscow Oblast. More than 1,600 long-range drones were launched from Ukraine. At least two people were killed and hundreds more were evacuated. Moscow Refinery was on fire after several direct hits.

The same day, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that he had ordered the attack on Moscow. He said it was a response to Russian forces targeting civilians in Ukrainian cities. He added that FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles and ballistic missiles were also used in the operation.

As background, attacks inside mainland Russia since the full-scale invasion of 24 February 2022 have mainly targeted the military, the arms industry and the oil industry. Many have been drone strikes. The refinery hits near Moscow fit that pattern.

Sanctions in Brussels

On 21 September 2026, European Union ambassadors agreed in principle to remove Russian oligarchs Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov from the sanctions imposed over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The same agreement would renew restrictions on about 3,000 other Russian-linked individuals and entities for three years.

The arrangement did not last. Latvia later blocked the deal.

The EU measures belong to a wider body of international sanctions that countries and organisations, including the United States, Canada and the European Union, have imposed during the Russo-Ukrainian war. Those measures target individuals, businesses and officials.

Why the two stories sat side by side

The military and diplomatic developments ran in parallel on 20 and 21 September 2026. Kyiv showed it could strike deep into Russia on a very large scale and said it was answering attacks on its cities. In Europe, ambassadors moved to renew most sanctions while dropping two prominent names, before Latvia's objection left the deal blocked.

The war itself, which began with Russia's invasion on 24 February 2022, had by then displaced about 8 million Ukrainians internally, while 6–7 million had fled the country. Russian troops occupied roughly 20% of Ukraine.