A major oil refinery in Moscow was hit by a massive Ukrainian drone strike, causing flames to engulf the facility and forcing the closure of all four major airports in the Russian capital. The attack represents a significant humiliation for President Vladimir Putin.
Strike Details
The Kapotnya Oil Refinery, located just ten miles from the Kremlin, was struck by drones that breached newly-strengthened air defenses. Thick smoke billowed across the city as the refinery burned. The assault coincided with the G7 summit in France, delivering a psychological blow to the Kremlin.
Airports Closed
Flights were suspended at Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky airports, causing widespread travel disruption. The drone surge during the breakfast hours was one of the heaviest against Moscow in the four-year war.
Context and Reactions
The attack comes as Ukraine's campaign against Russian oil installations begins to seriously impact the Russian economy and raises doubts about Putin's control over occupied Crimea. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, en route to the G7 summit, revealed that Putin had rejected a new peace overture.
Zelensky stated: 'We offered Putin to meet anywhere where real decisions could be made to end the war. He doesn't want that. We discussed with the US and France the possibility of a meeting with Russia on the sidelines of the G7 summit involving all democratic states, but Putin doesn't want that either.'
