Ukrainian drones set a Moscow refinery ablaze in a major attack on the Russian capital

Ukraine struck a major Moscow oil refinery Thursday for a second time in a week, sending huge plumes of black smoke over the capital and disrupting flights at its airports in one of its biggest drone attacks since Russia’s full-scale invasion over four years ago, officials said.

Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian oil facilities, aiming to cut Moscow’s revenue for the war and make Russians feel the consequences of the invasion. Some areas have reported fuel shortages.

The attack by dozens of drones came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had held “an important coordination call” with the presidents of the United States and France and had won key pledges of further support from this week's G7 summit.

Zelenskyy was expected to hold talks in Brussels later Thursday with NATO and European Union leaders, including about the possibility of a continental system to defend against ballistic missiles. Russia has relentlessly struck Ukraine with those types of missiles, which air defenses struggle to counter.

The Moscow attack was the latest embarrassment for Russian President Vladimir Putin, after a Ukrainian drone attack on his hometown of St. Petersburg earlier this month as he welcomed foreign VIPs to his showcase economic forum in the city.

Thick, black smoke and occasional flames spewed from the Moscow Oil Refinery amid its red-and-white smokestacks on the southeastern edge of the city, about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the Kremlin. Sooty, black rain fell on cars, according to local video.

“One of the most popular questions asked by Muscovites this morning is ‘What is going on?’" Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X. "I can answer. Your country started a war of aggression against ours. For years, it has been killing our people. Now that you know what’s going on, ask Putin when he is planning to end it.”

The refinery is one of Russia’s biggest, according to its official website, and produces more than a third of the Moscow region's fuel. It was last attacked by Ukrainian drones on Tuesday, catching fire, but officials said the blaze was swiftly put out.

Flights from four Moscow airports were temporarily halted, transport and aviation authorities said.

In the greater Moscow region, a drone hit a residential building in the town of Zhukovsky, according to Gov. Andrei Vorobyov. Buildings elsewhere were damaged by drone debris, injuring 17 people, including two children, he added.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that its air defenses overnight shot down 555 Ukrainian drones over multiple regions, with almost 200 intercepted as they were approaching Moscow. That was roughly double the number of drones that Russia launched at Ukraine overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force.

Putin on Thursday was in Kazan, some 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Moscow, hosting leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as Russia seeks to bolster business and other ties with the nations of the regional bloc.

Zelenskyy said the Moscow attack was part of Ukraine’s efforts to force Putin to the negotiating table. The Ukrainian president has accepted an unconditional ceasefire demanded by Trump but Putin has refused, and U.S.-led peace efforts have petered out.

“If Putin does not want to end this war and wants to continue it, we will not sit quietly — we will respond,” he added in a voice message to a group chat with journalists.

“We do not want this war and never did,” he said. “But if Ukraine is going to burn, your Moscow will burn too. … It is time to end the aggression, time to end this war.”

As well as pledges of more diplomatic and military help at the G7 summit, Ukraine recently has gained momentum on the battlefield against Russia’s bigger army thanks to its high-tech drones, Western officials and analysts say.

Longer-range drone strikes are choking Russian supply lines in occupied regions of Ukraine, in addition to disrupting Russian oil production.

Macron said the G7 summit was “very important for Ukraine” because its supporters — crucially including the United States — vowed to help it, although the French president provided no details. The U.S. under Trump has cut back assistance to Ukraine, leaving the Europeans as the biggest suppliers of military and financial aid. Trump and Zelenskyy have had an at times strained relationship.

“America is with us on Ukraine, that is very important,” Macron told reporters as he and Trump left the Palace of Versailles near Paris.

In other developments Thursday, Russia struck the city of Sumy in northeastern Ukraine with two powerful glide bombs that killed a 64-year-old man who was fishing in a river, said Oleh Hryhorov, head of the regional military administration.

Another Russian strike on the central city of Dnipro killed one man and wounded nine other people, said Oleksandr Hanzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Belgium's King Philippe, right, and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrive for their meeting at the Royal Palace in Brussels, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Russia-ASEAN summit in Kazan, Russia, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (Sergei Bobylev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

This photo provided by Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyev's official telegram channel shows firefighters extinguish a burning car after a Ukrainian drone attack outside Moscow on Thursday, June 18, 2026. (Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyev's official telegram channel via AP)

This photo released by Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyev's official telegram channel shows the damage in a country side after a Ukrainian drone attack outside Moscow on Thursday, June 18, 2026. (Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyev's official telegram channel via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, attends the Russia-ASEAN summit in Kazan, Russia, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

This photo provided by Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyev's official telegram channel shows smoke rising from a damaged building after a Ukrainian drone attack outside Moscow on Thursday, June 18, 2026. (Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyev's official telegram channel via AP)

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 18, 2026--

Cambrian Bio, a clinical-stage drug development company with pipeline therapies targeting critical metabolic pathways that decline with age, today announced the presentation of first human clinical data for ATX-304, an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) Network Activator in clinical development for obesity and other forms of cardiometabolic disease. The data were presented in two poster sessions at the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) 86th Scientific Sessions that took place June 5–8, 2026, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260618220426/en/

ATX-304 is the first AMPK Network Activator to enter clinical development. Its mechanism targets two complementary cellular processes that drive metabolic decline. ATX-304 increases both cellular glucose uptake and mitochondrial respiration, resulting in a balanced increase of energetic supply and demand – which drives an increase in whole-body metabolic rate. The Phase 1b results confirm that ATX-304's preclinical promise translated to humans, with statistically significant improvements observed across multiple measures of lipid metabolism, body composition, and energy expenditure.

The Phase 1b study (Abstract #1782-P) enrolled 23 adults with obesity and prediabetes in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design with an optional open-label extension (OLE). Participants received ATX-304 400 mg once daily or placebo for 8 weeks, followed by an 8-week OLE.

ATX-304 produced statistically significant, time-dependent improvements in lipid metabolism and body composition. Plasma adiponectin increased significantly (p<0.01), and plasma triglycerides decreased significantly (p<0.01). Liver fat, measured by MRI-PDFF, decreased significantly (p<0.05), as did visceral adipose tissue (p<0.05).

ATX-304 also increased resting metabolic rate (RMR) by 8% (p<0.01), consistent with the drug's mechanism of increasing energy expenditure through mitochondrial activation. Minimal weight loss was observed at this exposure level, consistent with preclinical predictions.

Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were predominantly mild and occurred at a similar frequency to placebo. Critically, no adverse events indicative of mitochondrial failure were observed, including no increase in continuously monitored core body temperature or 24-hour heart rate. No new safety signals were observed during the OLE.

Pharmacokinetic data confirmed that ATX-304 exposure in this study reached the threshold predicted to translate the metabolic effects observed in preclinical models.

“Unlocking the potential of AMPK activation has been a major drug development goal for almost 30 years, and for the first time, we have demonstrated activity of an AMPK activator in humans,” said James Peyer, PhD, CEO and Founder of Cambrian Bio. “The full AMPK Network Activation of ATX-304 elevates overall metabolic activity in a cell, driving up both substrate availability and use, increasing energy expenditure in a manner that closely resembles aerobic exercise training.”

"The Phase 1b data for ATX-304 demonstrate statistically significant improvements across multiple metabolic parameters, including liver fat, visceral adipose tissue, triglycerides, adiponectin, and resting metabolic rate," said Ruth Thieroff-Ekerdt, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Cambrian Bio and corresponding author of the Phase 1b poster. "The absence of any adverse events indicative of mitochondrial uncoupling, including no increase in continuously monitored core body temperature or 24-hour heart rate, is a particularly important finding for a drug that increases energy expenditure. We look forward to advancing ATX-304 into Phase 2 studies to further explore its applications in reversing metabolic decline and treating obesity."

Cambrian has plans for two Phase 2 clinical studies: REWIRE-1, which aims to evaluate the effect of higher exposures of ATX-304 on muscle function and lipid metabolism, and REWIRE-2, which aims to demonstrate proof of concept in weight loss for people with obesity.

Mechanistic Data Confirm Differentiated AMPK Activation (Abstract #1788-P)

A companion poster presented at ADA 2026 characterized ATX-304's mechanism of action at the cellular and mitochondrial level. The data demonstrate that ATX-304 activates AMPK through a mechanism independent of changes in cellular ATP levels, and that ATX-304 preserved ATP levels at all tested concentrations.

Next Steps

Based on these results, Cambrian Bio plans to advance ATX-304 into Phase 2 studies at higher exposures to evaluate its utility in reducing body weight through mobilization of lipids from adipose and ectopic fat tissue and increasing energy expenditure.

Poster Presentation Details

Abstract #1782-P:Phase 1b Study Results of AMPK/Mitochondrial Activator ATX-304 in Prediabetic Obese Participants | American Diabetes Association 86th Scientific Sessions, June 5–8, 2026, New Orleans, LA

Abstract #1788-P:AMPK Activation by ATX-304 Is Not Secondary to Changes in ATP Levels | American Diabetes Association 86th Scientific Sessions, June 5–8, 2026, New Orleans, LA

About ATX-304

ATX-304 is an AMPK Network Activator that increases both energy supply and metabolic demand. The drug is a peripherally restricted, oral small molecule entering Phase 2 clinical trials in obesity and other cardiometabolic diseases. In a human study in adults with obesity and prediabetes, ATX-304 produced statistically significant improvements in lipid metabolism, body composition, and resting metabolic rate. In preclinical studies, ATX-304 demonstrated muscle-sparing weight loss in obese animals, reversal of multiple cardiometabolic diseases, and major improvements in exercise endurance. ATX-304 is an investigational drug agent that is not available for human use outside a clinical trial setting.

About Cambrian Bio

Cambrian Bio (Cambrian BioPharma Inc.) is a clinical-stage drug development company focused on building therapeutics to treat and prevent today’s most debilitating chronic diseases, with programs targeting critical metabolic sensing functions that decline with age, including AMPK and mTOR. To learn more, visit www.CambrianBio.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the planned clinical development of ATX-304, anticipated Phase 2 studies, and the potential therapeutic benefits of ATX-304. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by words such as 'plan,' 'expect,' 'anticipate,' 'intend,' 'believe,' and similar expressions. These statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially, including the inherent uncertainty of clinical development, regulatory requirements, and the availability of funding. Cambrian Bio undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

Cambrian Bio Presents Positive Human Translational Data for ATX-304, the First AMPK Network Activator, at the American Diabetes Association's 86th Scientific Sessions