Ukraine launches largest-ever drone strike on Moscow, forcing airport closures
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11 months · 40 summary articles
Ukraine launched its largest-ever drone strike on Moscow on Thursday, sending plumes of black smoke over the Russian capital and forcing the closure of all four international airports. The attack on the Gazprom Neft-operated oil refinery in the Kapotnya district injured at least 17 people and marked a dramatic escalation in the war, as Kyiv demonstrated its ability to penetrate deep into Russian territory despite Moscow’s air defenses.
On Friday, Russian authorities reported intercepting 35 drones in 90 minutes, but the damage had already been done. The strike on the refinery, which has now shut down indefinitely, underscores Ukraine’s growing capacity to target critical Russian infrastructure. Ukrainian forces also struck railway bridges in Crimea and other occupied territories, further disrupting supply lines .
President Volodymyr Zelensky, fresh from a G7 summit, arrived at NATO headquarters on Thursday to press for more military support. “We have the means to put Russia on a path where diplomacy is the only choice,” he said, as Ukraine continues to reshape the battlefield with drone technology .
The Kremlin responded with defiance. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that European attempts to negotiate from a position of strength would fail as aerial warfare intensifies. “Russia is taking necessary measures to counter Ukrainian drone attacks,” he said . Meanwhile, Russian military bloggers have criticized the country’s air defenses for failing to prevent the strikes, adding pressure on the government to improve its counter-drone capabilities.
The escalation comes as Ukraine ramps up attacks on Russian oil and weapons infrastructure, bringing the war closer to Moscow than at any point since 2022. The strikes have also sparked petrol shortages in the capital, with reports of oil raining down on residential areas. In a sign of the conflict’s broadening impact, Ukraine’s drone units have helped fend off numerically superior Russian forces on the front line, according to a defense ministry official .
Zelensky also issued an ultimatum to Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, demanding the removal of equipment used by Russia in attacks on Ukraine within a week or face Ukrainian action. The dispute over Belarusian involvement in the war adds another layer of tension to the region’s already volatile security landscape .
As the UN Security Council prepares to meet on Sunday to discuss Russia’s latest major attack on Ukraine, the question remains: Can Moscow’s defenses adapt, or will Kyiv’s drone campaign force a reckoning on the battlefield?
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