Ukrainian drones have struck several locations across Moscow in what Kyiv described as its largest air raid on the Russian capital since the start of the full-scale invasion, setting a major oil refinery on fire and forcing evacuations at the country’s busiest airport.
The attack, which appeared aimed at disrupting operations at the Kapotnya oil refinery, caught many residents by surprise in a city that rarely experiences direct air raid alerts, prompting panic and widespread posts on social media.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said Russian air defence systems were actively repelling what he described as a large-scale drone assault.
“Air defence forces are continuing to repel a large-scale attack. Several drones managed to reach the MNPZ,” he said, referring to the Moscow oil refinery that was reportedly hit.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said the strike was a response to Russia’s attack earlier in the week on a historic Kyiv monastery complex.
In a separate statement, Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed that 555 Ukrainian drones were destroyed across multiple regions overnight, though the figure could not be independently verified.
Authorities also reported that Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport evacuated passengers to designated safe areas during the attack, marking the first such precaution at the airport since the war began.
The Kapotnya refinery, one of Moscow’s most critical energy facilities, is said to supply up to 40% of the city’s petrol and about 50% of its diesel fuel.
The latest assault comes after previous large-scale drone attacks, including one on May 17 when Russia said 81 drones were intercepted near Moscow, as well as others on May 7 and May 16.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin was in Kazan, about 700km east of Moscow, meeting with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as Russia continues efforts to strengthen international partnerships.