Ukraine has launched large-scale strikes in the Moscow region, including against the Russian capital's oil refinery. President Zelensky called the attack a just response to Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities.
For the second time in just over a week, Ukrainian drones have attacked an oil refinery in the Russian capital Moscow. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the refinery in Kapotnya (a district on the outskirts of Moscow) was hit by several drones. A large fire broke out. According to available information, at least two tanks are on fire, and installations for primary oil processing and hydrotreating of diesel fuel have been damaged.
Refinery, mall and temporarily closed airports
The Moscow oil refinery was the target of a Ukrainian drone attack about ten days ago - on June 16, a drone damaged one of the company's facilities, resulting in a fire.
Overnight, Russian air defense shot down 42 drones flying towards Moscow. Debris from the drones fell on the territory of the Sadovod shopping center, as a result of which one of the buildings was damaged. There were also reports of strikes on residential buildings, including in Zhukovsky, near Moscow.
According to the Russian Ministry of Transport, the four Moscow airports - „Domodedovo“, „Vnukovo“, „Sheremetyevo“ and „Zhukovsky“ - were closed for several hours.
Zelensky: "A fair response to Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities"
There were also strikes in the Rostov and Belgorod regions. Ukrainian drones hit an oil base in the town of Gukovo, Rostov region. A fire broke out there, one person died and two were injured. A military warehouse near Shebekino, Belgorod region, was also hit. A warehouse where flammable materials were stored burned down.
Russian-annexed Crimea has also been targeted in the latest wave of Ukrainian drone strikes. The railway bridge over the North Crimean Canal was attacked, as well as a road bridge. This facility is of strategic importance to Russia, as it is used to transport heavy equipment and fuel for Russian troops in southern Ukraine.
Kiev: Ukraine is capable of striking strategic targets in the heart of the Russian Federation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack on the Moscow refinery part of Ukraine's "long-range sanctions" and "a fair response to the constant Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities and towns," he wrote on Telegram. According to him, this is another important result of the actions of the Ukrainian military against objects that support the Russian military machine.
In turn, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) described the attack on the Moscow oil refinery as successful and noted that the attacked object is located 15 kilometers from the Kremlin. Repeated strikes on the Moscow oil refinery indicate that Ukrainian drones can systematically strike the enemy's most important strategic objects in the very heart of Russia. "Each such attack forces Russia to spend additional resources on repairs, strengthening air defense and restructuring logistics. The SBU will continue to conduct special operations that exhaust the aggressor's economic potential and increase the cost of war for Russia," the statement said.
Russia attacks Ukraine with missiles and hundreds of drones
On the same night, Russian forces attacked Ukraine with seven Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles and 239 unmanned aerial vehicles of various types, the Ukrainian Air Force reported.
According to preliminary data, 216 targets were shot down or neutralized - four ballistic missiles and 212 drones. Two of the missiles and 26 of the drones hit their targets in nine locations, and seven places were damaged by falling debris.