Russian officials confirmed Thursday that Ukraine carried out one of its most significant drone offensives since Russia launched its full-scale invasion more than four years ago, striking a major oil refinery in Moscow for the second time in just seven days.
The assault took place just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced he had completed what he described as “an important coordination call” with the presidents of the United States and France, and had secured key commitments of continued support from the G7 summit taking place that week.
Zelenskyy was also scheduled to travel to Brussels later Thursday to meet with NATO and European Union leaders. Among the topics on the agenda was the potential construction of a continent-wide defense system capable of intercepting ballistic missiles — the type of weapon Russia has repeatedly used against Ukraine and which current air defenses have difficulty stopping.
Striking Russian oil infrastructure has been a deliberate Ukrainian strategy, designed to drain Moscow’s war funding and bring the consequences of the conflict home to Russian citizens. Fuel shortages have already been reported in some areas.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha took to X to address Russian citizens directly, writing: “One of the most popular questions asked by Muscovites this morning is ‘What is going on?’ I can answer. Your country started a war of aggression against ours. For years, it has been killing our people. Now that you know what’s going on, ask Putin when he is planning to end it.”
Russian media released images and video showing enormous fires burning at the Moscow Oil Refinery, which sits roughly 15 kilometers — about 9 miles — from the Kremlin. Towering black clouds of smoke billowed across the city skyline.
According to the refinery’s official website, it ranks among Russia’s largest and supplies more than a third of the fuel used in the Moscow region. Ukrainian drones had already targeted the facility on Tuesday, sparking a fire that officials said was quickly extinguished.
Aviation and transportation authorities reported that flights at four Moscow-area airports were temporarily grounded as a result of the attack.
In the Moscow region — which surrounds but is separate from the capital — a drone struck a residential building in the town of Zhukovsky, prompting an evacuation, according to regional Gov. Andrei Vorobyov. Vorobyov also reported that drone debris damaged other structures throughout the region, injuring 16 people, among them two children.
Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that overnight, its air defense systems intercepted 555 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions, with nearly 200 of those shot down as they approached Moscow. That figure was approximately double the number of drones Russia itself launched toward Ukraine during the same period, according to the Ukrainian air force.
The strike added to a string of embarrassments for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Earlier this month, a Ukrainian drone attack struck his hometown of St. Petersburg at the very moment he was hosting a high-profile economic forum attended by foreign dignitaries.
On Thursday, Putin was in Kazan, located about 700 kilometers — roughly 430 miles — east of Moscow, where he was hosting leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as Russia works to strengthen economic and political ties with member countries of that regional bloc.
Zelenskyy framed the Moscow attack as part of Ukraine’s broader effort to compel Putin to come to the negotiating table. The Ukrainian president has agreed to an unconditional ceasefire as called for by Trump, but Putin has declined, and U.S.-led peace initiatives have largely stalled.
“If Putin does not want to end this war and wants to continue it, we will not sit quietly — we will respond,” Zelenskyy said in a voice message sent to a journalists’ group chat.
Beyond diplomatic pledges made at the G7 summit, Western officials and analysts say Ukraine has recently gained ground against Russia’s larger military force, largely due to its advanced drone capabilities. Long-distance drone strikes are increasingly choking off Russian supply lines in occupied Ukrainian territories, while also disrupting oil production inside Russia.
French President Macron described the G7 gathering as “very important for Ukraine” because its allies — notably the United States — reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the country, though he offered no specific details. Under the current U.S. administration, American aid to Ukraine has been reduced, leaving European nations as the primary providers of military and financial support. The relationship between Trump and Zelenskyy has at times been tense.
“America is with us on Ukraine, that is very important,” Macron told reporters as he and Trump departed the Palace of Versailles near Paris.
