Ukraine Launches Largest Drone Attack on Moscow Since Full-Scale War Began, Hits Oil Refinery
Ukraine launched hundreds of drones at Moscow on Thursday morning, hitting the Kapotnya oil refinery with what Russian officials say was one of the largest attacks on the Russian capital since the invasion began. The attack disrupted flights, set fires, and caused widespread damage while Russia shot down nearly 200 drones.
The Attack
Ukraine launched hundreds of drones on Thursday targeting more than a dozen Russian regions, including Moscow, where they struck an oil refinery, sending plumes of black smoke into the air over the Russian capital. Ukraine launched its largest drone attack on Moscow in two years, Russian media reported, with 194 drones intercepted over the capital. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed it marked the second time within a week that Kyiv had targeted the Moscow Oil Refinery, a sprawling facility in the city's southeast.
Strategic Impact
Ukraine has been striking oil facilities deep inside Russia after a leap in drone capabilities, an intensifying campaign that Kyiv's allies say has given the country "new momentum" in the war. The Moscow Oil Refinery is just 15 kilometers from the Kremlin, in the southeastern district of Kapotnya which was also struck and damaged by Ukraine on Tuesday. The refinery is a key supplier of road fuel to the capital and the surrounding areas.
Zelenskyy's Message and Context
Ukraine's Zelenskyy said after the second major strike on the Russian oil refinery that unless Putin stops his war, "Moscow will burn." "This is a fully justified response to Russian attacks on our cities and communities, and another important result of our warriors' work against facilities that sustain Russia's war machine," he said, adding "It is time the war ended, and Russia must take the necessary steps in diplomacy." Kyiv cast the attack as revenge for strikes on a historic monastery that had drawn global condemnation.
Broader Implications
Thursday's Ukrainian strike ranked among the largest single-night long-range attacks undertaken by Kyiv since the war began more than four years ago. The attack came in the hours before defense ministers of NATO states were set to gather in Brussels, Belgium, for a summit, where Ukraine's security was among the topics to be discussed.