Resource: BBC
Ukraine has carried out its largest drone attack on the Moscow region, targeting Moscow’s main oil refinery and a residential building. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that 450 drones heading towards the Russian capital had been shot down, describing the incident as the “largest-scale” drone attack on Moscow. According to local Russian authorities, at least two people were killed and 20 others injured in the attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also confirmed that Ukrainian forces had used drones and missiles to strike a major Russian oil facility and a logistics hub in the Moscow region. Zelenskyy said the facilities were worth billions of dollars to Russia and played an important role in supporting its war effort.
Moscow Oil Refinery Targeted
Footage verified by the BBC and shared on social media shows explosions lighting up the night sky over Moscow and a warehouse engulfed in flames. Moscow’s mayor said a drone struck a building near one of the capital’s boulevards, while the Moscow oil refinery was also targeted. Ukrainian military officials said three key sections of the refinery were damaged. According to Ukraine’s Defence Ministry, the facility supplies more than a third of the fuel required by the Moscow region, while some of the petrol, diesel and aviation fuel produced there is also supplied to Russian military forces. Ukraine’s defence minister said that targeting such facilities weakens Russia’s ability to continue the war and supply its military forces.
Casualties Reported in Residential Areas
Russian authorities have also reported civilian casualties. Andrei Vorobyov, governor of the Moscow region, said a 44-year-old woman was killed after a drone struck a three-storey residential building in the Sofyino area. Five other people, including two children, were injured in the incident. According to Vorobyov, an elderly man was also killed after a drone struck a private home in the Orekhovo-Zuyevo area.
Disruption to Flights in Moscow
The large-scale drone attack also caused temporary disruptions to operations at Moscow’s airports. Sheremetyevo International Airport, Moscow’s largest airport, announced that temporary restrictions had been imposed overnight, while all incoming and outgoing flights at Vnukovo Airport were suspended for a period. The restrictions were lifted by Sunday morning, but officials at both airports warned that some flights could face delays.
Russian Attacks on Ukraine Continue
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials said Russian attacks in the Kyiv and Sumy regions on Saturday killed at least nine people, including three children. According to Ukrainian authorities, a mother and her two young children were killed in a Russian attack on the city of Fastiv in the Kyiv region. Another child, who was injured in a separate attack in Vyshhorod, north of Kyiv, later died in hospital. In the northeastern Sumy region, four people were killed after a Russian drone struck their vehicle. Zelenskyy also said that Russia targeted a monastery in the Kherson region with a drone on Saturday, killing a priest and injuring four others.
Escalation of Attacks on Energy Infrastructure
Russia and Ukraine have stepped up attacks on energy facilities, transport networks and key logistics hubs in recent weeks. The attacks have continued despite US President Donald Trump previously saying on social media that both sides had agreed not to target each other’s energy infrastructure. On Friday, Trump signed legislation imposing economic sanctions on Russia and targeting major buyers of Russian oil and gas, including China and India. Under the legislation, the US president is authorised to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on imports from countries that are major purchasers of Russian energy. The Russia-Ukraine war entered its current phase following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
