Tank lid blown off, plumes of black smoke: Dramatic video captures Ukrainian strike on Moscow refinery | Watch
Ukraine’s latest drone strike on Russia was captured on camera on Thursday, showing explosions and fires at a Moscow oil refinery. The footage, shared by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, begins with thick black smoke rising over the area as seen from a moving vehicle.
The refinery comes into view with large columns of smoke spreading across the skyline.
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Storage tank explodes on camera
One clip, filmed from an elevated position, appears to show the moment a storage tank is hit. The force of the blast sends the tank’s lid flying into the air while plumes of smoke and debris spread outwards.
Other segments show flames burning angrily at multiple points across the refinery complex as dark smoke continue to rise above the facility.
The Moscow fuel plant was also targeted earlier this week.
One of the biggest attacks
The attack was one of the largest drone assaults on Moscow in recent years, Russian officials said. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defence systems intercepted a large number of drones, though some managed to reach the Moscow oil refinery.
Over 500 Ukrainian drones were intercepted overnight across the country, including nearly 200 headed towards Moscow, according to Russia’s defence ministry cited by AFP.
Authorities temporarily restricted flights at Moscow’s airports, while debris from downed drones reportedly damaged residential and commercial buildings in Moscow.
Ukraine says attack was a ‘fully justified response’
Zelensky said the strike on the refinery was a response to Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities. “This is a fully justified response to Russian attacks on our cities and communities, and another important result of our warriors’ work against facilities that sustain Russia’s war machine,” the Ukrainian President wrote on X.
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He said Ukrainian security and defence agencies had coordinated the operation and also targeted facilities in the Rostov region and Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine.
“In recent days, all of our partners have noted the precision and effectiveness of our mid-range strikes and long-range sanctions. It is time the war ended, and Russia must take the necessary steps in diplomacy,” he added.
The Russia-Ukraine war
The latest exchange came as Russia continued aerial attacks on Ukraine. Ukrainian officials reported missile and drone strikes overnight, including attacks on Kyiv and other regions. Air raid alerts were issued across large parts of the country.
The drone assault also took place hours before Russian President Vladimir Putin was due to host Southeast Asian leaders at a summit in the city of Kazan.
The war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has increasingly seen both sides target infrastructure far from the front lines, with drones playing a growing role in long-range attacks.