Flames several meters high and thick black smoke escaping from one of the main refineries in the Moscow region. This Thursday, June 18, Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks against Russia in two years of war. In total, nearly 1,000 drones were intercepted by the Russian Air Defense over a large area, according to a count cited by CNN.
In Moscow, where 194 Ukrainian drones were shot down, according to the mayor, 17 people were injured and an oil refinery was damaged about fifteen kilometers from the Kremlin, causing major fires. A figure much higher than that of other days of attacks in recent months, during which Ukraine sent a few dozen drones. Flights from all main Moscow airports are temporarily suspended this Thursday.
“We do not want this war, we never wanted it, everyone knows it, our partners know it too,” declared Volodymyr Zelensky, quoted by Reuters. “But if Ukraine burns, Moscow will burn too.”
The Ukrainian president said the massive attacks were a response to the strike that damaged a historic monastery in Kyiv this week, also killing 10 people on Monday. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia responded to Thursday’s attack by launching seven missiles and 239 drones against Ukraine.
“Ahead” in the drone war
Ukraine has launched major drone attacks in recent months against refineries, oil depots and terminals – with the aim of disrupting war revenues – as well as Russian military installations. To the point of causing sufficiently significant damage for the Ukrainian commander to now claim superiority over Moscow in the drone war.
“Today, we already have reason to assert that, in this competition of technology, innovation and industrial capabilities, Ukraine is at least on par with Russia – and, in some areas, it is ahead of it,” General Oleksandr Syrskyi said in early May, quoted by The Independent.
“In May 2026 alone, drone units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces hit nearly 180,000 Russian targets, an increase of 12.7% compared to April,” indicates a report from RBC Ukraine. “In the segment of FPV drones – remote-controlled devices with first-person view used for direct strike – Ukraine now has a balance of power of 1.5 to 1 against Russia. In May, Ukrainian forces also shot down some 4,000 Shahed drones, up 27% compared to the month previous”.
Moscou fébrile
Enough to undermine the Kremlin, which is showing signs of feverishness, in the face of a war which is now also being fought on its own territory. In mid-May, Moscow announced the cancellation of its annual Russia Day concert, commemorated on Red Square – a first in 23 years -, to replace it with shows inside cultural centers, without further explanation. Already, on May 9, the military parade in Red Square was held without the tank parade, and foreign journalists were not invited to participate.
More recently, the Duma authorized banks and certain businesses to defend themselves against drone attacks, by hiring private security companies, or by arming their officials. The same week, a Russian central bank building was heavily damaged in Sevastopol.
In the latest measure, the Crimean authorities also announced this Wednesday that they would prohibit the circulation of motorcycles, scooters or quads at night, until further notice, as their sounds could be confused with that of drones. “The noise from mopeds disrupts the work of defense systems. Their engine makes a comparable noise, Reuters reported.
The region has experienced numerous disruptions in recent weeks, with Ukraine bombing routes and vehicles used to transport fuel. “Social networks are full of videos of tanker trucks on fire after drone attacks and lines of cars snaking in front of gas stations, deliveries being disrupted,” notes the New York Times.
Change in balance of power?
Crimea, illegally occupied by Russia since 2014, constitutes the main logistical platform and the main starting point for Russian military operations in southern Ukraine, but presents a challenge for Moscow, being separated from its territory.
This Thursday’s massive attack comes shortly after the meeting of G7 leaders in France at the start of the week, where the Seven – including the United States – renewed their military support for Ukraine, and called for pressure on Russia to reach an agreement. kyiv also has its sights set on an important NATO meeting next month. “Everyone must put pressure on Putin: the Ukrainians, absolutely all the Europeans, the Americans and the Russians… it is time to pull ourselves together and put pressure on their leader,” the Ukrainian president said on Thursday.
