Ukraine launched a significant drone attack on Moscow on Thursday, targeting key infrastructure and residential areas, marking one of the largest aerial assaults on the Russian capital in years. The strike caused fires at multiple sites, including the Kapotnya oil refinery, Moscow’s largest, as well as a shopping centre and an apartment building, resulting in at least 16 to 17 people injured, including children.
Video footage circulated on social media showed a drone striking the Kapotnya refinery, approximately 16 kilometers from the Kremlin, with the blast reportedly blowing off part of the facility’s metal roof and triggering a substantial fire. The refinery supplies about 40 percent of the petrol for Moscow and its surrounding regions and also fuels Russian military operations, according to Ukrainian sources. In response to the attack, Moscow’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that nearly 180 to 194 drones were intercepted over the city, with the Russian Defense Ministry claiming over 500 Ukrainian drones were shot down across the country overnight.
The strikes prompted the closure of all four airports in Moscow and the suspension of public transport in affected areas. A separate drone strike in Russia’s southern Rostov region resulted in one fatality, authorities confirmed.
The attack coincided with a summit in Kazan, about 700 kilometers east of Moscow, where Russian President Vladimir Putin was meeting Southeast Asian leaders. Putin did not publicly address the strike during the event. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned of intensified retaliatory strikes against Ukraine, referencing earlier declarations by Putin about carrying out frequent, large-scale missile attacks on Ukrainian targets. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has also reportedly begun detaining individuals who posted footage of the strikes online, citing a law prohibiting such publications.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky framed the drone attack as a justified response to recent Russian strikes on Kyiv, which included attacks on cultural and religious sites such as a landmark cathedral and a UNESCO-protected 11th-century monastery. Zelensky emphasized that the war’s consequences should be attributed directly to Putin, urging Russian citizens to recognize their leader as responsible for ongoing hostilities. He described the strikes as “long-range sanctions” against Moscow and reiterated calls for an end to the conflict.
The current drone offensive follows a similar Ukrainian strike on Saint Petersburg earlier this month during an international economic forum. Observers in Kyiv and European capitals view these long-range Ukrainian attacks as a potential turning point in the war, even as Russian forces continue gradual advances in the eastern Donetsk region. Ukrainian monitoring groups have highlighted the strategic significance of locations like Kostyantynivka, which remains contested, but they also note the heavy losses Russia is sustaining.
In the broader context, discussions about international sanctions have surfaced, with former U.S. President Donald Trump indicating that Washington might consider reinstating sanctions on Russian oil that had been previously lifted. Kremlin advisor Yury Ushakov suggested that such moves are influenced by European support for Ukraine expressed at recent G7 meetings.
The ongoing conflict underscores the intensified nature of hostilities, with Moscow experiencing direct attacks on its territory and infrastructure amidst continued military engagements on multiple fronts in Ukraine.