Ukrainian drones struck several locations across Moscow on Thursday in Kyiv's biggest air raid on the city since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, setting a major oil refinery ablaze and forcing evacuations at the country's largest airport.
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,' he said in a voice message. '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, apparently designed to shut down operations at the key Kapotnya refinery, caught most residents by surprise. Many learned of the attack only through social media, as Moscow does not typically sound air raid alarms. Footage showed three plumes of smoke rising from the facility, which supplies up to 40% of the capital's petrol and 50% of its diesel fuel.
Russia claimed its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 555 Ukrainian drones overnight across multiple regions, though the number could not be independently confirmed. The Russian foreign minister announced 'group strikes' on Ukraine would be launched 'on a regular basis' in response.
Meanwhile, the UK announced it would pay £750 million to supply Kyiv with 150,000 Ukrainian-made drones and over 350 air defence missiles, funded from a £2.26 billion loan against interest from Russian central bank assets.
