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The Guardian World1 min read
Ukraine hits a Moscow oil refinery and other sites in a large-scale drone attack
TL;DR
Ukraine conducted a large-scale drone attack on Moscow, targeting the city's oil refinery among other sites. Despite Russian air defenses destroying nearly 200 drones, some managed to reach their targets.
Key points
- Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack on Moscow
- Targets included the city's main oil refinery
- Russian air defenses destroyed nearly 200 drones
- This is one of the largest attacks since the invasion began
- Several drones managed to reach their targets
Mentioned in this story
Gazprom NeftMoscow
Black smoke rises from the area of the Russian oil producer Gazprom Neft's oil refinery on the outskirts of Moscow on Thursday. Moscow was fending off a "large-scale" drone attack from Ukraine, with several drones reaching an oil refinery, the city's mayor said. AFP/via Getty Images
AFP/via Getty Images
MOSCOW — Ukraine launched a new wave of drone attacks on Russia early Thursday, with the majority targeting Moscow. It amounted to one of the largest attacks on the Russian capital since the Kremlin ordered the invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian air defenses destroyed nearly 200 Ukrainian drones on approach to the capital — but acknowledged that several had managed to hit the city's main oil refinery for the second time this week.
Videos circulating on social media showed drones repeatedly striking the facility, sending large fireballs upward — and expletives tumbling out of many a Russian mouth.
In a separate instance, a drone explosion sent the lid of a round oil container rocketing skyward. While the scene was very much real, it resembled a CGI effect from a Hollywood movie.
Russian intercepts appear to have played a role in some of the damage. One intercept sent a drone crashing into a megamall in southeast Moscow, setting the complex ablaze. In another instance, a drone slammed into a high-rise apartment building. Whether the building was the target or had been damaged due to city air defenses wasn't clear.
Moscow authorities reported 17 people injured in all.
Even hours after the attack, plumes of black smoke massed along the Moscow skyline, and all four of the city's airports suspended operations for much of the day.
There was no immediate response by Russian President Vladimir Putin to the attacks. The Kremlin leader wasn't in Moscow, having traveled to nearby Kazan to host a regional Asian summit.
Hard-line nationalists said there was little doubt the Moscow attack undermined Kremlin claims that its "special military operation" in Ukraine was firmly under control.
Q&A
What were the targets of Ukraine's drone attacks in Moscow?
The drone attacks primarily targeted Moscow's main oil refinery and other sites in the city.
How many drones did Russian air defenses destroy during the attack?
Russian air defenses destroyed nearly 200 Ukrainian drones approaching Moscow.
Is this the largest drone attack on Moscow since the invasion of Ukraine?
Yes, this attack is considered one of the largest on Moscow since the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine over four years ago.
What did Moscow's mayor say about the drone attacks?
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that several drones managed to hit the city's oil refinery despite the air defenses.
