Ukraine launched nearly 200 drones at Moscow on Thursday in its largest-ever attack on the Russian capital, striking the city’s largest oil refinery and sending huge plumes of smoke across southern districts.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defence systems shot down at least 194 Ukrainian drones on Thursday morning, marking the third consecutive day of attacks on the Russian capital.
Images showing flames and thick smoke rising above parts of Moscow highlighted Ukraine’s growing ability to strike deep inside Russian territory with domestically produced long-range drones.
More than four years after President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine, the advance of Russian forces on the battlefield has slowed significantly, while Ukrainian drone strikes continue to penetrate Russian air defences and target military and energy facilities.
Local authorities said at least 16 people were injured in the attacks, including two children.
Several drones struck the Moscow Refinery in Kapotnya on the south-eastern outskirts of the capital. The facility, the largest oil refinery in the Moscow metropolitan area, was also targeted by Ukrainian drones on Tuesday and had been hit about a month earlier.
