Ukraine drone strike hits major Russian oil refinery near Moscow

2 days ago 12

Ukraine deed a large Moscow lipid refinery for a 2nd clip successful a week and disrupted commercialized flights astatine Moscow airports successful 1 of its biggest drone attacks since Russia's all-out invasion of its neighbour much than 4 years ago, Russian officials said Thursday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attacks retaliation for a strike that damaged a historical monastery successful Kyiv this week, and helium said "Moscow volition burn" if the Russian attacks continue.

"We don't privation this war, we ne'er did, and everyone knows it, and our partners cognize it," Zelenskiy said successful a dependable connection sent to reporters connected a WhatsApp group. "But if Ukraine burns, your Moscow volition burn."

"The main happening is that the radical of Russia statesman to consciousness that it is 1 man, Putin, who is waging this war, portion mean radical wage the terms for everything," helium said.

Smoke rises from an lipid refinery pursuing a Ukrainian drone onslaught successful Moscow

The onslaught came hours aft Zelenskyy said helium had held "an important coordination call" with President Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron that whitethorn "bring astir important change."

Zelenskyy said his state had won cardinal pledges of further enactment from satellite leaders attending the G7 acme successful France, including the U.S.

Images and video released by the Russian media showed monolithic fires raging astatine the Moscow Oil Refinery, located lone astir 9 miles from the Kremlin. Thick achromatic clouds of fume roseate implicit the city.

The Moscow Oil Refinery is 1 of Russia's biggest refineries, according to its authoritative website, and accounts for much than a 3rd of the substance marketplace of the superior region. It was past attacked by Ukrainian drones connected June 16, catching fire, but officials said the blaze was swiftly enactment out.

Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russia's lipid facilities, aiming to chopped Moscow's gross for the warfare and marque Russians consciousness the consequences of the invasion.

Three Ukrainian officials acquainted with the country's quality assessments told CBS News this week that Russia was facing shortages of a cardinal benignant of interceptor missile, acknowledgment successful ample portion to advances successful Ukrainian drone exertion and accumulation starring to an summation successful the benignant of strikes carried retired Thursday.

Flights from 4 Moscow airports were temporarily halted, transport and aviation authorities said.

In the surrounding Moscow region, a drone deed a residential gathering successful the municipality of Zhukovsky, and the gathering was being evacuated, according to Gov. Andrei Vorobyov.

Elsewhere successful the region, drone debris deed backstage houses, a car, a fittingness center, an unspecified concern installation and a ample mall, whose extortion caught fire, Vorobyov said. One pistillate was injured, helium said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that its aerial defenses overnight changeable down 555 Ukrainian drones implicit aggregate regions, with astir 200 intercepted arsenic they were approaching the Russian capital.

That was astir treble the fig of drones that Russia launched astatine Ukraine overnight, according to the Ukrainian aerial force.

The onslaught was the latest embarrassment for Russian President Vladimir Putin aft a Ukrainian drone onslaught connected his hometown of St. Petersburg earlier this period conscionable arsenic helium held a showcase economical forum successful the metropolis with overseas VIP visitors.

Putin connected Thursday was successful Kazan, immoderate 430 miles eastbound of Moscow, hosting leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations arsenic Russia seeks to bolster concern and different ties with the nations of the determination bloc.

"This is simply a afloat justified effect to Russian attacks connected our cities and communities, and different important effect of our warriors' enactment against facilities that prolong Russia's warfare machine," Ukraine's Zelenskyy said connected societal media. "It is clip the warfare ended, and Russia indispensable instrumentality the indispensable steps successful diplomacy."

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said connected X: "One of the astir fashionable questions asked by Muscovites this greeting is 'What is going on?' I tin answer. Your state started a warfare of aggression against ours. For years, it has been sidesplitting our people. Now that you cognize what's going on, inquire Putin erstwhile helium is readying to extremity it."

As good arsenic gaining pledges of much diplomatic and subject assistance from Western supporters astatine the G7 summit, Ukraine precocious has gained momentum connected the battlefield against Russia's bigger service acknowledgment to its high-tech drones, Western officials and analysts say.

As good arsenic disrupting Russian lipid production, longer-range drone strikes are choking Russian proviso lines successful occupied regions of Ukraine.

Macron said the G7 acme was "very important for Ukraine" due to the fact that its supporters - crucially including the United States - vowed to assistance it, though the French president provided nary details. The U.S. nether Trump has chopped backmost assistance to Ukraine, leaving the Europeans arsenic the biggest suppliers of subject and fiscal aid. Trump and Zelenskyy person had an astatine times strained relationship.

″America is with america connected Ukraine, that is precise important,″ Macron said.

″And present we volition proceed to beforehand to assistance Ukraine to resist″ and to physique up its ″capacity to support itself and capableness to counterattack," Macron told reporters arsenic helium and Trump near the Palace of Versailles adjacent Paris.

In: