SouthernWorldwide.com – Ukraine has launched one of its most extensive drone assaults on Moscow since the commencement of Russia’s full-scale invasion, successfully hitting a significant oil refinery within the Russian capital and enveloping parts of the city in thick, black smoke, according to official Russian statements and various reports.
The Moscow Oil Refinery, situated in the Kapotnya district and serving as a critical fuel hub for the capital region, was reportedly targeted overnight on Thursday. This incident marks the second reported strike on the same facility within a three-day span. Visuals shared online depicted large flames and plumes of black smoke ascending from the refinery complex, while Russian authorities asserted that their air defense systems had intercepted multiple incoming drones.
Kyiv maintains that its successful strikes deep within Russian territory signify a turning point in the conflict. This message was recently conveyed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to leaders at a G7 summit in France, including President Donald Trump.
These recent attacks highlight a new phase in the ongoing war. Ukraine is demonstrating an increasing capability to strike high-value targets far inside Russia, while Moscow struggles to prevent drones from reaching politically sensitive and economically vital locations near its capital.
“This is pure hell, I’ve never felt such terror,” one Moscow resident conveyed their experience following the attack, as reported by East2West News.
Another resident, also quoted by the outlet, expressed their dismay: “Why won’t this madman stop his crazy and pointless war and end the death and destruction?”
The East2West news agency also reported a substantial security deployment around the Kremlin. Red Square was sealed off, and machine-gunners were positioned on towers, ramparts, and near the Mausoleum of Vladimir Lenin, the founder of the Bolsheviks.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin stated that air defenses successfully downed over 130 drones approaching the city. Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed to have intercepted more than 550 Ukrainian drones overnight across several regions. However, these battlefield claims from both sides could not be independently verified.
The attack caused significant disruption to daily life across Moscow. Temporary flight suspensions were implemented at major airports, and traffic restrictions were put in place near the refinery. Russian officials reported that debris also fell near the Sadovod shopping center, resulting in damage to a building. The governor of the Moscow region confirmed that 16 people sustained injuries during the broader attack.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, sarcastically commented on the confusion observed in Moscow, writing on X: “One of the most popular questions asked by Muscovites this morning is ‘What is going on?’ I can answer. Your country started a war of aggression against ours. For years, it has been killing our people. Now that you know what’s going on, ask Putin when he is planning to end it.”
The strike appeared to expose the vulnerabilities within Moscow’s heavily promoted air defense network, effectively bringing the war closer to the Russian capital. This comes at a time when the Kremlin continues its own long-range missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities.
The Kapotnya refinery holds significant strategic importance. A previous Ukrainian drone strike had damaged a portion of the refinery in recent days, according to Reuters, leading to a temporary halt in some operations.
East2West reported that the refinery is responsible for supplying 40% of Moscow’s fuel market and 70% of the surrounding region’s demand for gasoline and aviation fuel.
Ukraine has increasingly been targeting Russian energy infrastructure as part of its strategy to undermine Moscow’s war capabilities and to increase the domestic cost of the war within Russia. Kyiv has characterized these strikes as part of its “long-range sanctions” campaign against Russia’s oil and military infrastructure.
The attack on Moscow occurred while President Vladimir Putin was hosting leaders from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc in Kazan, Russia. Ukraine also reportedly targeted infrastructure linked to Russia’s supply routes to occupied Crimea, including road and rail networks. Ukrainian officials have consistently stated that isolating Crimea is a primary military objective as Kyiv aims to weaken Russia’s control over the peninsula, which Moscow annexed illegally in 2014.
Meanwhile, Russia has continued its own offensive operations against Ukraine. Ukrainian officials reported Russian attacks targeting energy and oil facilities in the Poltava region and near Kyiv.
East2West reported that Russia has been repositioning its Tu-95MS strategic bombers across the country, sparking concerns that Moscow might be preparing for another significant strike against Ukraine in the coming days.
President Zelenskyy has stated that the war could conclude if Putin agrees to genuine peace negotiations, while simultaneously accusing Moscow of prolonging the conflict and using discussions as a pretext for continued attacks.
