Ukraine launched nearly 200 drones against Moscow on Thursday, striking the Moscow Oil Refinery in the south-east of the capital and forcing evacuations at Sheremetyevo International Airport, Russian officials confirmed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the assault as a "fully justified response" to Russian attacks on Ukraine. The bombardment marked the most extensive drone attack on Moscow since the full-scale conflict began, igniting fires across the Russian capital and injuring 17 individuals in the Moscow region, according to local governor Andrei Vorobyov.
Attack Details and Casualties
Flames ripped through the Moscow Oil Refinery as massive plumes of black smoke swept across the capital's southern horizon on Thursday. A drone struck a residential block in the Moscow region district of Zhukovsky, while wreckage from another assault triggered a blaze at a shopping centre on the capital's periphery.
In Russia's southern Rostov region, a separate Ukrainian drone strike claimed one life and wounded at least two others, local governor Yury Slyusar confirmed. Footage shared on social media showed vehicles covered in "oil rain" from the refinery strike.
Moscow Infrastructure Disrupted
All of Moscow's airports were closed for several hours, resulting in hundreds of flight delays. Sheremetyevo International Airport—the nation's busiest—moved passengers to "safe locations" during the barrage before reopening around 11am local time. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin posted on Telegram early Thursday that "several drones" had struck the Moscow Oil Refinery, without detailing the extent of damage to the facility.
This marked the second occasion this week and the third time in a month that Kyiv targeted the Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotnya District. The assault was the most significant on Moscow in at least two years, according to Russia's state TASS news agency.
Zelenskyy Responds to Strike
"It is time the war ended, and Russia must take the necessary steps in diplomacy," Zelenskyy stated. This marked the second time in a month that Kyiv initiated a major attack during an international summit, having previously targeted Saint Petersburg at the commencement of an economic forum near the city.
Russian Defense Claims and Putin's Silence
Russian air defences brought down approximately 180 drones en route to Moscow, Sobyanin stated, while the defence ministry reported intercepting over 500 Ukrainian drones across the country overnight. The onslaught occurred as Russian President Vladimir Putin was hosting Southeast Asian leaders at a summit in the central city of Kazan, roughly 700 kilometres east of Moscow. Putin has yet to comment on the large-scale attack on the Russian capital.
Russian authorities limit the publication of photos and videos from locations targeted by Ukrainian drones, and state media had yet to release any imagery from the scene of the attack.
Escalating Drone Campaign Context
Kyiv has intensified its drone strikes on Russia in recent months, targeting oil refineries that bolster Moscow's war coffers, as diplomatic discussions to end the conflict, now in its fifth year, remain at a standstill. Russia also unleashed over 200 drones and multiple ballistic missiles at Ukraine between late Wednesday and early Thursday, as reported by the Ukrainian air force.
Following Kyiv's strikes on Saint Petersburg during Putin's flagship economic conference earlier this month, the Russian leader pledged to strengthen air defences. Russia's federal aviation regulator imposed a ban on civilian drones and light aircraft around Moscow's airspace earlier this week in response to the attacks.
At the G7 summit in France earlier this week, US President Donald Trump suggested that Moscow should "make a deal" to conclude the Ukraine war as Russia's advances have decelerated. Russia's 2022 offensive on Ukraine has escalated into Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II, resulting in hundreds of thousands of fatalities.
FAQ
What did Ukraine strike in Moscow on Thursday?
Ukraine launched nearly 200 drones against Moscow on Thursday, striking the Moscow Oil Refinery in the south-east of the capital and causing fires across the city. The attack also forced evacuations at Sheremetyevo International Airport and closed all Moscow airports for several hours.
How many casualties resulted from the Moscow drone attack?
Seventeen individuals sustained injuries in the Moscow region, according to local governor Andrei Vorobyov. In Russia's southern Rostov region, a separate Ukrainian drone strike claimed one life and wounded at least two others, local governor Yury Slyusar confirmed.
How did Russian air defenses respond to the drone assault?
Russian air defences brought down approximately 180 drones en route to Moscow, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated, while the defence ministry reported intercepting over 500 Ukrainian drones across the country overnight.
