Ukrainian drones struck multiple locations across Moscow in Kyiv’s largest air raid on the city since Russia’s full-scale invasion began. The attack set a major oil refinery on fire and forced evacuations at the country’s biggest airport.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the attack as a response to Russia’s strike on a historic Kyiv monastery complex earlier this week.
“We do not want this war and never did,” Zelenskyy said in a voice message to journalists. “But if Ukraine is going to burn, your Moscow will burn too … It is time to end the aggression, time to end this war.”
The scale of the long-range attack, which appeared aimed at shutting down operations at the key oil refinery in the Kapotno area, caught most people off guard in a city that typically does not warn residents with air raid alarms. It sparked panicked messages on social media.
Footage posted online showed three plumes of smoke rising from the Kapotno refinery. The strike was the second in two days on the facility.
The refinery, one of Moscow’s most important energy facilities, supplies up to 40% of the capital’s petrol and about 50% of its diesel fuel.
Russia said its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 555 Ukrainian drones overnight across multiple regions. The number actually shot down could not be independently confirmed.
Vladimir Putin is in Kazan, 430 miles (700 km) east of Moscow, hosting leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as Russia seeks to strengthen business and other ties.
Kyiv was hit this week by a major strike of ballistic missiles and drones, marking a clear escalation in the air war. Putin had warned of impending “systemic strikes” on Ukraine.
The Moscow attack came hours after Zelenskyy said he had held “an important coordination call” with the presidents of the US and France and secured vital pledges of further support from this week’s international G7 summit.
Zelenskyy was expected to hold talks in Brussels on Thursday with NATO and EU leaders, including about the possibility of a system to defend against ballistic missiles. Russia has repeatedly struck Ukraine with those types of missiles, which air defenses struggle to counter.
British Defense Secretary Dan Jarvis announced on Thursday at a meeting of Western allies in Brussels that the UK would pay £750 million to supply Kyiv with another 150,000 Ukrainian-made drones and more than 350 air defense missiles.
The funding comes from a £2.26 billion loan taken out against the interest generated by Russian central bank assets frozen since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Footage of the Moscow strikes appeared to show the use of Ukrainian Bars hybrid drone-cruise missiles, first used last year. They were believed to have a range of 600-800 km, designed for precision targeting, but their use against Moscow would suggest a longer range.
Ukraine is rapidly catching up with Russia in its ability to mass-produce long-range strike weapons. Kyiv has stepped up its drone strikes on Russia in recent months, hitting oil refineries that fund Moscow’s war chest, as diplomatic talks on ending the conflict remain stalled.
Sergei Sobyanin, Moscow’s mayor, said: “Air defense forces are continuing to repel a large-scale attack. Several drones managed to reach the [Moscow oil refinery].” He claimed about 180 drones heading for the capital were downed.
Sobyanin said emergency crews were working at the site, and he also reported damage to the Sadovod shopping center in the southeastern part of the city. At least seven drones appear to have beaten Russia’s air defenses to strike targets in the city.
Footage online appeared to show a Russian portable air defense system operator trying to shoot down a Ukrainian strike drone moments before it hit the Moscow oil refinery.
Traffic wasA vehicle was stopped on Moscow’s ring road near the refinery, according to the broadcaster RIA, citing the interior ministry. Air traffic was also disrupted at Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky airports.
Social media footage appeared to show a strike on a high-rise building in the Zhukovsky district. Sheremetyevo, Moscow’s busiest airport, suspended flights and carried out evacuations. The airport said some people took shelter in the parking area.
In the surrounding Moscow region, a high-rise residential building, an industrial facility, and several private homes were damaged in the drone attack, according to the regional governor.
A strike on Tuesday was believed to have already stopped operations at the Kapotno refinery, adding to widespread damage to Russian energy facilities and deepening a fuel crisis across the country.
Russia, the world’s third-largest oil producer and a major oil and fuel exporter, plans to import fuel by sea this month as it tries to manage a shortage caused by extensive Ukrainian drone attacks on its refineries.
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Russian hardliners called for Moscow to retaliate, with some urging the Kremlin to consider using nuclear weapons against Ukraine.
“What else has to happen before we start fighting for real?” wrote ultraconservative billionaire Konstantin Malofeev on Telegram. “Why aren’t we using the nuclear weapons that our ancestors created and stockpiled through the efforts of the entire country precisely for moments like this?”
Andrey Gurulyov, a retired lieutenant general and state Duma deputy, called for Russia to “strike the enemy mercilessly” in response to the attack. “We need to strengthen our air defense system, but most importantly, we need to hit the enemy,” he told RTVI. “Hit the enemy mercilessly, without overthinking it.”
Kyiv came under air attack this week as Russia launched ballistic missiles at the Ukrainian capital, city officials said, urging residents to take shelter. Authorities in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy said one person was killed in a drone attack there. Airstrike alerts were issued for most of Ukraine’s territory.
One person was killed in the Ukrainian city of Enerhodar, where most of the staff of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant live, said the Russian-installed mayor, Maksim Pukhov. In Russia’s Belgorod border region, officials said a Ukrainian drone strike killed one man in his car.
On Wednesday, Moscow accused Ukraine of attacking a bus carrying Belarusian children, an accusation Kyiv said was false. In the southern Russian region of Rostov, a Ukrainian drone attack killed one person and caused a fire at two commercial facilities, officials said. Russia and Ukraine deny deliberately targeting civilians.
Additional reporting by Dan Sabbagh; Reuters and AP contributed to this report.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about Ukraines largest air raid on Moscow written in a natural conversational tone with clear answers
General Background Questions
1 What exactly happened in this attack
Ukraine launched its biggest drone and missile attack on Moscow since the war started The main target was an oil refinery inside the city limits
2 Why is this attack considered a big deal
Its the largest strike on the Russian capital itself Hitting a refinery in Moscow shows Ukraine can reach deep into Russian territory not just the front lines or border areas
3 Was this the first time Ukraine attacked Moscow
No there have been smaller drone attacks on Moscow before but this one was much larger in scale and targeted a major industrial facility inside the city
Details Impact
4 What was hit at the oil refinery
The attack damaged the refinerys distillation unit which is a key part of processing crude oil into fuel This can disrupt fuel supplies for the local area
5 Did the attack cause a big fire or explosion
Yes there were reports of a significant fire at the refinery Russian emergency services said they managed to put it out but it took a while
6 Were there any casualties in Moscow
Russian officials reported no deaths from the attack itself but there were a few injuries Air defense systems shot down many of the drones which can send debris falling onto buildings
7 Why is Ukraine targeting oil refineries in Russia
To cut off Russias fuel supply for its military and reduce the money Russia makes from selling oil Hitting refineries directly impacts their ability to produce diesel and gasoline for tanks and trucks
Technical Military Strategy
8 What kind of weapons did Ukraine use for this attack
Ukraine used a mix of longrange attack drones and possibly some domesticallyproduced missiles They are designed to fly hundreds of miles to reach Moscow
9 How did Russia try to stop the attack
Moscow has a dense air defense system They used electronic jammers to confuse the drones and launched surfacetoair missiles to shoot them down They claimed to have intercepted over 30 drones
10 Why did some drones get through the defenses
Its a numbers game When you launch a very large wave of drones some
