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Ukraine drone attack sparks fires at Moscow oil refinery
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฐ Pakistan /Conflict & Security

Ukraine drone attack sparks fires at Moscow oil refinery

From Dawn · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Ukraine launched its largest drone attack on Moscow in years, hitting a major oil refinery and causing fires.
  • At least 17 people were wounded, and authorities reported damage to a shopping center and apartment building.
  • Russia vowed retaliation, while Ukraine's President Zelensky called the attack a justified response to Russian strikes on Kyiv.

Ukraine launched its most significant drone assault on Moscow in years on Thursday, igniting fires and striking a major oil refinery. The attack forced evacuations at Russia's busiest airport and sent plumes of black smoke billowing over the capital's southern skyline. Black rain mixed with soot fell on the city, according to AFP reporters.

The main thing is that the people of Russia begin to feel that it is one man, Putin, who is waging this war, while ordinary people pay the price for everything.

โ€” Volodymyr ZelenskyUkrainian President explaining his rationale for the attacks.

Authorities reported that at least 17 people were wounded. The strikes also ignited a shopping center and an apartment building. The assault occurred as Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Southeast Asian leaders at a summit in Kazan. While Putin had not commented on the strikes, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov vowed Moscow would retaliate with its own "massive" strikes on Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as an "absolutely justified response" to deadly Russian strikes on Kyiv, including recent attacks on a cathedral and an 11th-century monastery. He urged Russians to pressure Putin over the war's consequences, stating, "If Ukraine is going to burn, your Moscow will burn too."

If Ukraine is going to burn, your Moscow will burn too.

โ€” Volodymyr ZelenskyUkrainian President's statement on the drone attacks.

This was the second major attack by Kyiv during an international summit this month. Moscow's airports experienced closures for hours, leading to hundreds of flight delays. Sheremetyevo, the country's busiest airport, evacuated passengers to safe locations before reopening. Residents near the refinery described the scene as unprecedented, with one woman calling it "really scary."

Itโ€™s really scary.

โ€” ValentinaA 29-year-old manager describing the scene near the refinery.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dawn in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.