Russia has warned its cities about every strike for years. During the heaviest raid yet, on election day, it left the sirens silent

Russian authorities remained silent on air raid sirens and phone alerts during Ukraine's largest combined strike on Moscow Oblast during the country's parliamentary elections, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). The lack of warnings angered residents and pro-war commentators as a major oil refinery burned. This decision, made during the heaviest raid yet in the middle of a national vote, suggests that authorities prioritized the appearance of a calm election over residents' safety.

Moscow Oblast officials did not activate air alert sirens or send SMS warnings, which they had previously used during smaller attacks. Instead, they quietly restricted mobile service without drawing significant public attention. Ukraine targeted oil and logistics sites instead of polling stations, according to experts, indicating that the authorities placed a higher value on ensuring high voter turnout than safeguarding civilians.

Residents of Moscow Oblast complained that no alert reached them, with some posting complaints on the Telegram channel of regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov before the platform closed comments. A prominent Kremlin-linked military blogger criticized the official response, stating that it erodes public trust and that turning off mobile service does not effectively help in such situations.

According to the Gazpromneft-Moscow Oil Refinery, Ukrainian drones struck the plant in the city's Kapotnya district, causing a large fire and damaging all primary processing units. Governor Andrei Vorobyov claimed that air defenses repelled 249 drones across 17 municipal districts. The strike was part of Ukraine's broader campaign against the fuel sector that funds Russia's war, with about a fifth of Russian refining capacity currently offline.