Ukraine Drone Strike Hits Moscow Oil Refinery, Disrupts Airports and Injures Civilians

Ukraine launched a major drone attack on Moscow on Thursday, striking a key oil refinery for the second time in a week and sending thick black smoke over the Russian capital. The assault disrupted air traffic at several airports and marked one of the largest drone operations carried out by Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion began more than four years ago, according to officials.

Russian authorities said dozens of Ukrainian drones were involved in the overnight attack. The Moscow Oil Refinery, located in the southeastern part of the city about 15 kilometres from the Kremlin, was heavily affected, with large plumes of smoke and intermittent flames visible above its industrial structures.

The refinery is among Russia’s largest fuel processing facilities and supplies more than a third of the Moscow region’s fuel needs. It had also been targeted earlier in the week, when a fire broke out but was quickly extinguished by emergency services.

Flights from four Moscow airports were temporarily suspended following the attack, with aviation authorities citing security concerns. In the surrounding region, debris from intercepted drones caused damage in residential areas. Officials reported that 16 people were injured, including two children, after a drone struck a building in the town of Zhukovsky and other fragments hit nearby structures.

The Russian Defence Ministry claimed its air defences intercepted 555 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions overnight, including nearly 200 near Moscow. Ukrainian officials have not confirmed the scale of the operation.

The strike came shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held coordination talks with US and French leaders and secured renewed support commitments from G7 allies. He was also due to meet NATO and European Union officials in Brussels to discuss expanded air defence systems, including protections against ballistic missile attacks.

Ukrainian officials said the strikes on Russian energy infrastructure are intended to reduce Moscow’s ability to fund its military campaign and bring pressure on the Russian leadership to consider negotiations. Kyiv has increasingly relied on long-range drone operations targeting oil facilities and supply routes inside Russia.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the attack reflects the consequences of Russia’s own invasion, adding that Moscow now faces the impact of a war it initiated.

The strike also embarrassed Russian leadership, coming after a previous drone attack on St Petersburg earlier this month during a high-profile economic forum attended by foreign guests. President Vladimir Putin was in Kazan during Thursday’s attack, meeting international delegations.

In parallel developments, Russia continued its own strikes on Ukraine. In the northeastern city of Sumy, glide bombs killed a 64-year-old man, while another attack on Dnipro left one dead and several injured.

The exchange of strikes underscores the continued intensity of the conflict, even as diplomatic efforts involving Western leaders aim to explore potential paths toward a ceasefire.