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Black smoke billowed over Moscow as a major Ukrainian drone attack targeted a key oil refinery, forcing the city’s four airports to temporarily close and shutting down part of the Moscow Ring Highway, which encircles the capital of 13 million residents.
This marked one of the largest drone assaults on Moscow since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began over four years ago, underscoring Kyiv’s intensified efforts to bring the war’s devastating consequences closer to Russian civilians.
No fatalities were reported immediately following the strike, but the attack appears poised to amplify growing concerns among Russians about the Kremlin’s ability to shield the population from the war’s fallout, potentially ushering in a new phase of the conflict that has already surpassed World War I in duration.
For days, fuel shortages in Russian regions have sparked long queues and rationing at gas stations due to sustained Ukrainian strikes on refineries and processing facilities, further straining Moscow’s economy amid the ongoing war.
Ukraine has specifically targeted Crimea, the peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, aiming to disrupt supply lines. The Russian economy is now grappling with war-related costs previously avoided under the Kremlin’s rule.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a voice memo shared with journalists, warned, “If Ukraine burns, then your Moscow will burn as well,” framing the strikes as retaliation for the destruction of Kyiv’s Pechersk Lavra monastery complex. Russia attributed the site’s damage to an errant Ukrainian interceptor missile.
Advances in Ukrainian drone capabilities have enabled larger-scale assaults, with Russia’s Defense Ministry reporting that 992 drones were downed nationwide during Thursday’s attack—a record for the war and a significant increase in intensity.
Hardline Russian figures have demanded escalated military retaliation, with former General Andrei Gurulyov urging the Kremlin to “eliminate the entire Ukrainian leadership, destroy all command centers, and cripple the industrial sector.” Such rhetoric heightens fears of further confrontation from Russia, the nation with the world’s largest nuclear arsenal.
The Kremlin has vowed to continue fighting until it fully occupies eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region or secures a peace agreement, while Kyiv retains approximately 1,000 square miles of territory in the region. Russian state media largely minimized the scale of the attack, and President Vladimir Putin did not address it during military talks with Southeast Asian leaders in Kazan.
Moscow’s acting mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, confirmed that 194 drones were intercepted during Thursday morning’s assault, with at least 17 injuries reported in the surrounding region. The targeted refinery, which supplies 40% of Moscow’s gasoline, had faced a smaller strike two days prior.
Dramatic footage shows the refinery’s roof engulfed in flames as Ukrainian drones strike.
Residents in Moscow’s southeastern districts reported waking to explosions and toxic smoke, with social media videos showing oil-soaked rain falling in some areas. Environmental authorities advised limiting outdoor exposure, dismissing claims of oil-infused precipitation as “soot-laden rainfall.”
Local resident Nikolai, who withheld his last name for safety, described Thursday’s attack as “far more severe” than Tuesday’s strike, with smoke persisting across miles. Despite widespread fear, many residents struggled to connect domestic attacks to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“They’ve been told not to look up for so long,” Nikolai remarked. “Now that they’ve lifted their heads, it’s impossible to ignore.”
A Moscow school employee, also speaking anonymously, noted preparations for emergency shelters amid expectations of further attacks. “More strikes are inevitable,” she said, as schools implement safety measures.
Ukrainian drones also damaged Moscow’s largest open-air market and forced the closure of a major shopping mall. Explosions damaged a residential building in the suburb of Zhukovsky, according to local officials.
Russia has intensified missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, with no reported casualties from recent strikes on the monastery complex. Meanwhile, Russian authorities have clamped down on sharing images of Ukrainian assaults, arresting a pro-war blogger for posting footage of the refinery strike.
Hardline commentator Vladimir Solovyov condemned such actions, stating, “Anyone distributing these videos must be jailed—publicly. If you can’t endure, leave. If you’re a coward, follow the traitors’ path.” His remarks intensified domestic pressure to suppress anti-war discourse.
As the war enters its fifth year, the interplay of drone warfare and escalating rhetoric highlights a conflict where frontline standoffs are increasingly mirrored by high-stakes aerial confrontations far from the eastern front.
