Ukraine launched its largest drone attack on Moscow to date on Tuesday, deploying nearly 200 drones that struck the Russian capital’s largest oil refinery and several other targets. The assault, part of a series of attacks extending over three consecutive days, caused significant damage to energy infrastructure and disrupted operations across the city.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that Russian air defenses intercepted at least 194 drones during the strikes. Despite the interceptions, multiple drones successfully hit the Kapotnya oil refinery in Moscow’s south-eastern outskirts, which is the largest refinery servicing the metropolitan area. Video footage circulating on social media showed a massive explosion that lifted the lid of an oil storage tanker hundreds of meters into the air, accompanied by several other fires. These attacks followed previous strikes on the same facility, including one a month earlier and another earlier in the week.
In addition to the refinery, drones targeted residential buildings in southern Moscow and the suburbs, as well as two of the largest shopping centers in the region. Local authorities reported at least 16 injuries, including two children. The disruption to energy infrastructure has prompted Russia’s leading petrol station chains to impose limits on fuel purchases nationwide. Furthermore, fuel rationing measures have been introduced in Russian-controlled areas in the south-east and around the Crimean peninsula, where supply lines have been particularly affected. Moscow airport operations were temporarily halted, and Aeroflot, Russia’s largest airline, canceled 170 flights on the day of the attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy defended the strikes as a "fully justified response" to ongoing Russian bombardments of Kyiv, which have targeted civilian areas and damaged historic sites, including a near 1,000-year-old monastery complex earlier in the week. Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine would continue to respond as long as the war persisted, underscoring the conflict’s continued intensity despite a slow-moving ground war. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha urged Moscow residents to question their leadership about the continuation of the war.
The attacks demonstrated Ukraine’s growing capability to conduct precision strikes deep within Russian territory using mostly domestically produced long-range drones. This capability has been increasingly used to target Russian military and energy infrastructure, contributing to both strategic and symbolic pressure on the Kremlin.
The G7 nations, meeting in France, expressed support for Ukraine’s recent offensive momentum and pledged additional supplies of air defense munitions. Zelenskyy highlighted the effectiveness and precision of Ukraine’s mid-range strikes and referred to the increased international backing as a key factor in sustaining Ukraine’s defense efforts.