Moscow targeted by the largest Ukrainian drone attack in at least two years, nearly 200 machines shot down and a refinery hit

The Russian news agency Tass is clear: this is the most significant Ukrainian drone attack against Moscow in at least two years. During the night of Wednesday June 17 to Thursday June 18, numerous aircraft targeted the Russian capital, according to local authorities. The air defense downed a total of 194 drones heading towards Moscow during this “large-scale attack”said the mayor, Sergueï Sobianine. “Several drones” ont “succeeded in achieving” one of Russia’s largest oil refineries, MNPZ, he added. For its part, the Russian Defense Ministry declared having intercepted more than 500 Ukrainian drones during the night, across the country.

In a message posted Thursday morning on social media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was a “fully justified response to Russian attacks on our cities and communities”. “Targets were also hit in the Rostov region and in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories”he claimed.

In the Moscow region, the nighttime attack damaged a residential building and a shopping center, without causing any injuries, according to the regional governor, Andreï Vorobiov. It also led to the establishment of an air alert at one of Moscow’s main airports, Sheremetyevo, where passengers and staff were evacuated from terminals and planes to secure shelters. According to a press release, airport operations began to return to normal shortly before 8 a.m. (local time).

These Ukrainian drone strikes come as Russian President Vladimir Putin has been hosting Asian leaders since Wednesday evening for a two-day summit between Russia and the ASEAN countries, in Kazan, in the center of the country.

Russia continues to strike Ukraine almost daily, more than four years after the start of the conflict. For its part, Ukraine has intensified its strikes on Russian territory, sometimes very far from the border, particularly targeting hydrocarbon transport and storage infrastructure in an attempt to dry up Moscow’s ability to finance its war effort.