Ukraine drone strike hits Moscow refinery, threatening fuel supplies

A major Ukrainian drone attack struck the Kapotnya oil refinery in Moscow, about 16 kilometers from the Kremlin, igniting a large fire and sending a black smoke plume over the city. The strike was described as one of the largest air raids on Moscow in the past two years, and social media videos shared by open-source intelligence accounts showed multiple smoke columns rising from the facility.

The refinery is a critical piece of infrastructure. As of the week before the attack, it supplied 40% of Moscow’s gasoline consumption and about 50% of its diesel. This was the second direct hit on the plant in a week, and the article says the latest strike forced it to halt operations.

The scale of the attack shocked residents, and panic spread quickly online. Airports were affected immediately by the fire, including Sheremetyevo, Russia’s busiest airport, where flights were suspended and passengers were moved to shelters. Traffic on the Moscow Ring Road near the refinery also came to a near standstill.

The attack comes as Russia is already facing a deepening fuel shortage and is expanding sea imports to stabilize supply. Reports said Ukraine used hybrid “Bars” missile-drone systems designed for precise long-range strikes. President Volodymyr Zelensky called the operation a “just response” to Russian strikes on cultural and religious sites in Kyiv earlier in the week, while Russian hardliners demanded a sharp escalation, with some even raising the prospect of nuclear steps.