Ukraine Strikes Moscow Oil Refinery, Sending Black Smoke Over Moscow Skyline

Ukrainian drones struck a major oil refinery in the south-east of Moscow, sending thick black smoke over the Moscow skyline and turning the sky dark during what the BBC described as one of the largest aerial assaults on the Moscow region since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

DW reported that after Ukrainian drones hit locations across Moscow on June 18—described as the largest attack since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine—a major oil refinery in Moscow that supplies 40% of the region’s fuel was set alight and production appeared to have halted for several days.

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DW said the debate that followed focused on gaps in Russia’s defense net, with Ruslan Leviev telling DW that “That impression forms among non-specialists, who see a missile fly past a drone without hitting it”.

In the same DW account, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov urged people to focus on Russian strikes on Ukraine, saying “The footage is impressive — showing the results of strikes by our armed forces. These strikes will continue,” as Russian officials sought to downplay the June 18 drone attack.

DW quoted Russian dissident and military analyst Ruslan Leviev, founder of the investigative group Conflict Intelligence Team, arguing that the apparent failures seen on social media were misleading and that “That impression forms among non-specialists, who see a missile fly past a drone without hitting it”.

DW also reported that Leviev’s team did not record weakening of Russia’s defenses because it downed more than 90% of the UAVs over Moscow, while the few that got through caused substantial damage.

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The BBC described how Russian state messaging minimized the attack, with ultra-pro-Kremlin Komsomolskaya Pravda declaring, “However bad it is for us, Ukraine's suffering more,” and Moskovsky Komsomolets writing that “Our strikes to demilitarise Ukraine are far more powerful and effective than Ukrainian attacks”.

In that same BBC account, the Kremlin’s response when it finally reacted was to point to footage from Ukraine, with Dmitry Peskov telling reporters, “Footage showing the results of strikes carried out by our armed forces is impressive. These strikes will continue.”

CNBC reported that Russia pledged to carry out frequent and “massive group strikes” against Ukraine after Kyiv launched a barrage of drones on Moscow, triggering a huge explosion at a key oil refinery.

CNBC said nearly 200 drones were reportedly used in the attack, and authorities reported 16 people had been injured while four Moscow airports temporarily grounded flights.

In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy framed the strikes on Moscow as retaliation for Russia’s actions in Kyiv, calling them “a fully justified response to Russian attacks on our cities and communities, and another important result of our warriors' work against facilities that sustain Russia's war machine,” and adding that “In recent days, all of our partners have noted the precision and effectiveness of our mid-range strikes and long-range sanctions.”

The BBC warned that Moscow is expecting more drone strikes, quoting Moskovsky Komsomolets’ prediction that “The Ukrainian attack on the Moscow region on 18 June won't be the last attack, or even one of the last,” as petrol shortages and rationing were reported in some parts of the country and prices were rising at the pumps.