Ukraine executed its most extensive drone strike on Moscow since the beginning of the full-scale conflict, deploying nearly 200 drones to target various locations, leading to fires around the Russian capital.
The recent attacks, which occurred on Thursday, specifically targeted a significant oil refinery in southeast Moscow, resulting in the evacuation of individuals at the country’s busiest airport, as confirmed by officials.
Dramatic images captured flames engulfing the Moscow Oil Refinery, with massive columns of dark smoke spreading across the southern skyline of the capital. Seventeen individuals sustained injuries in the Moscow region, according to local governor Andrei Vorobyov.
During the drone operation, one drone crashed into an apartment building in Zhukovsky, while debris from another strike caused a fire at a shopping center on the outskirts of Moscow. Additionally, a separate drone attack in Russia’s southern Rostov region led to one fatality and at least two injuries, as reported by local governor Yury Slyusar.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine praised the strikes on social media, describing them as a justified retaliation against Russian assaults on Ukraine. This marks the second attack on the Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotnya District this week and the third within a month by Kyiv.
According to Russia’s state TASS news agency, this assault on Moscow is the most significant in at least two years. Notably, this is the second time this month that Kyiv has launched a major attack coinciding with an international summit.
The airstrike unfolded while Russian President Vladimir Putin was hosting Southeast Asian leaders in Kazan, located about 700 kilometers east of Moscow. As of now, Putin has not officially commented on the extensive attack on the Russian capital.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin disclosed via Telegram that several drones targeted the Moscow Oil Refinery, yet no specific details on the damage incurred were provided. The incident led to the closure of all Moscow airports for several hours, causing numerous flight delays. Sheremetyevo International Airport, the nation’s busiest airport, evacuated passengers to secure locations during the operation before resuming operations around 11 a.m. local time.
Russian air defenses successfully intercepted approximately 180 drones approaching Moscow, as stated by Sobyanin, while the defense ministry reported intercepting over 500 Ukrainian drones nationwide during the night.
In recent months, Kyiv has intensified its drone strikes on Russia, particularly focusing on oil refineries that fund Moscow’s military activities, amid stalled diplomatic negotiations to end the longstanding conflict. This marked the second Ukrainian strike on the Moscow refinery within the same week.
In response, Russia launched over 200 drones and multiple ballistic missiles at Ukraine between late Wednesday and early Thursday, according to the Ukrainian air force. Despite the economic and social repercussions of Russia’s offensive on Ukraine over the past four years, the Kremlin has been compelled to retaliate due to recent Ukrainian assaults.
Following earlier attacks on Saint Petersburg during Putin’s flagship economic conference, Russia pledged to enhance its air defenses. Moreover, the federal aviation regulator imposed a ban on civilian drones and light aircraft in Moscow’s airspace earlier this week in response to the ongoing strikes.
Russian authorities have restricted the dissemination of images and videos from sites targeted by Ukrainian drones, with no official media coverage from the scene of the attack where thick smoke was visible from the city center.
At the G7 summit in France, US President Donald Trump urged Moscow to negotiate an end to the Ukraine conflict, highlighting the slowdown in Russia’s advances. The conflict in Ukraine, initiated by Russia in 2022, has evolved into Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II, resulting in a significant loss of life.
