Attack on energy infrastructure
Ukraine attacked the Moscow Oil Refinery this Thursday, the second attack in seven days. The bombardment with dozens of drones generated a column of black smoke visible from various points in the Russian capital.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the attack and linked it to the support agreements obtained at the G7 summit.
“If Ukraine is going to burn, its Moscow will burn too,” Zelensky declared, adding that the offensive seeks to force Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the war.
The refinery, one of the largest in Russia, produces more than a third of the Moscow region’s fuel. The arson was contained hours later, according to Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
Consequences in Moscow
The attack temporarily disrupted operations at four airports in the capital. More than 500 flights were delayed or cancelled, the Kommersant newspaper reported.
In the Moscow region, a drone hit a residential building in Zhukovsky. Local authorities reported 17 injuries, including two minors. Several homes were damaged by falling debris from the artifacts.
The offensive also affected fuel supplies. Gas station chains in several regions imposed purchasing restrictions. The independent media Agentstvo pointed out that one in four stations already applies limits.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andri Sibiga, responded on social networks to questions from Muscovites about what happened:
“Your country started a war of aggression against ours. Ask Putin when he plans to end it.”
From Kazan, where Putin was receiving leaders from Southeast Asia, the Russian response was immediate. Viacheslav Volodin, speaker of the Duma, warned:
“Their action will lead to our reaction and the launching of harder blows, with more powerful weapons.”
Some nationalist sectors, such as businessman Konstantín Maloféyev, even called for the use of nuclear weapons. “War means victory at any cost,” he wrote on Telegram.
