Ukraine launched its largest drone attack on the Russian capital, Moscow, on Wednesday night. This marks Kyiv’s most significant strike on the city since the Russia-Ukraine war began in 2022. The attack damaged a key oil refinery, sparked fires in various locations, and scattered drone debris across the region.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that air defense systems shot down at least 194 drones heading toward the Russian capital between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that this was part of a massive Ukrainian offensive spanning vast areas of Russia, including the Sea of Azov region; in total, air defenses intercepted 555 drones.
Russian aviation authorities announced a temporary suspension of flight operations at all major Moscow airports on Thursday.
Kyiv has recently intensified long-range strikes targeting Russia’s energy infrastructure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has cited this as a key strategy to compel Moscow to end the war.
Zelenskyy arrived in Brussels on Wednesday to meet with NATO leaders. In a Telegram post from there, he described Thursday’s attack as a “completely justified response to Russian attacks on our cities and towns.”
Zelenskyy said, “In recent days, all our partners have noted the precision and effectiveness of our medium-range strikes and long-range capabilities.”
Among the targets was the Moscow Oil Refinery in the southeastern Kapotnya district. Ukraine had also damaged this refinery—located just 15 kilometers from the Kremlin—in an attack last Tuesday. Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov reported that at least 16 people were injured in the attack.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported strikes on another oil depot in Russia’s Rostov region and on two bridges in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia has retaliated against the drone attacks. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched seven missiles and 239 drones at Ukraine. According to Ukrainian and Russian authorities, the attacks damaged a private home, energy infrastructure, a hangar, and an oil facility in the Kyiv and Poltava regions.
NATO Meeting
This attack on Thursday took place shortly after world leaders met at the G7 summit in France. At that summit, Zelenskyy stated that “everyone” had agreed to help boost Ukraine’s air defense capabilities and that US President Donald Trump had responded positively to his proposals.
Earlier, on Tuesday, Trump urged Russia to agree to a deal that would end the war, which is now entering its fifth year. He noted that both Russia and Ukraine have suffered massive casualties.
Speaking at a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels yesterday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte mentioned that he and Zelenskyy had discussed the war situation the previous day.
Rutte stated that Ukraine is performing very well. He highlighted that Russia is suffering between 30,000 and 35,000 casualties—killed or wounded—per month. He added that discussions are underway with “all allies” to ensure the delivery of necessary missile interceptors and weapon systems to Ukraine.
This NATO meeting is taking place at a critical time for Europe. European nations are somewhat concerned by statements from Trump administration officials regarding plans to reduce US troops and military equipment in Europe.
