Ukraine drones strike Moscow refinery; flights hit

One of biggest air raids by Kyiv on Russian capital since start of war

Moscow: Ukraine struck one of Russia’s largest oil refineries near Moscow and disrupted flights at the capital’s airports in a major drone attack, Russian officials said on Thursday.

Images released by Russian media showed large fires and thick black smoke rising from the Moscow Oil Refinery, located about 15 km from the Kremlin. The facility produ­ces more than a third of the Moscow region’s fuel and was also targeted earlier this week.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said air defences shot down 555 Ukrainian drones overnight across several regions, including nearly 200 approaching Moscow. Flights at four Moscow airports were temporarily suspended.

In the Moscow region, a drone hit a residential building in Zhukovsky, prompting evacuations. Drone debris damaged other buildings and injured 16 people, including two children. Ukrainian President Volod­y­myr Zelens­kyy said the stri­ke was part of efforts to pressure Russian President Vla­di­mir Putin to negotiate an end to the war. Ukraine has incr­ea­singly targeted Russian oil infrastructure and supply lin­es using long-range drones. —AP

We don’t ⁠want this war, we never did, and everyone knows it, and our partners know it. But if Ukraine burns, your Moscow will burn. 

Volod­y­myr Zelenskyy 

Ukrainian President