A massive drone attack struck the Kapotnya Oil Refinery in Moscow, just ten miles from the Kremlin, causing significant damage and sending flames and smoke into the sky. The strike occurred as world leaders gathered in France for the G7 summit.
Details of the Attack
Ukrainian drones breached newly-strengthened air defenses over Moscow, seriously damaging the vital oil facility. The refinery supplies up to 40% of the capital's fuel market and 70% of Moscow and the surrounding region's petrol needs. Despite being the best-protected refinery in Russia, defenses were overwhelmed.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, a close ally of President Putin, claimed at least 60 drones were shot down but acknowledged damage to the refinery. He reported no casualties. Flights were suspended at all four major Moscow airports—Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky—causing travel chaos.
Broader Impact on Russia
This attack is part of a sustained Ukrainian campaign against Russian oil installations, which is beginning to cripple the Russian economy. Fuel rationing or shortages have been reported in at least 25 regions. In addition to the Moscow refinery, Ukraine hit a large fuel depot in the village of Poltava in Krasnodar region, 240 miles from the frontline, and the key Palkino pumping station on the Baltic Pipeline System in Yaroslavl region, 150 miles north of Moscow.
Elsewhere, a residential building in the Moscow suburb of Elektrostal was hit by a downed drone, and another struck a building under construction in the Kotelniki district.
Political Context
The attacks come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that Putin rejected a new peace initiative. Speaking en route to the G7 summit, Zelensky said: 'We offered to meet anywhere where real decisions could be made to end the war. He doesn’t want that.' He added that discussions with the US and France about a potential meeting with Russia on the sidelines of the G7 summit were also rebuffed.
The drone onslaught follows a Russian missile and drone blitz on Kyiv on Monday, which killed five people and severely damaged an 11th-century cathedral.
