{"id":862,"date":"2026-06-18T11:08:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T11:08:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=862"},"modified":"2026-06-18T11:08:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T11:08:18","slug":"clouds-of-black-smoke-rise-over-moscow-after-ukrainian-drones-hit-an-oil-refinery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=862","title":{"rendered":"Clouds of black smoke rise over Moscow after Ukrainian drones hit an oil refinery"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ukraine hit a major Moscow oil refinery for a second time in a week and disrupted commercial flights at the city\u2019s airports in one of its biggest drone attacks since Russia\u2019s all-out invasion<\/span> of its neighbor more than four years ago, Russian officials said Thursday.<\/p>\n

Read more Pentagon chief urges Europe to take the lead as he pushes a \u2018NATO 3.0\u2032 reboot<\/a><\/p>\n

The attack came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had held \u201can important coordination call\u201d with the presidents of the United States and France, and had won key pledges of further support<\/span> from the G7 summit this week. <\/p>\n

Zelenskyy was expected in Brussels later Thursday for talks with NATO and European Union leaders, including discussions about the possible building of a continental system to protect against ballistic missiles. Russia has relentlessly struck Ukraine<\/span> with those types of missiles, which air defenses struggle to counter.<\/p>\n

Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russia\u2019s oil facilities<\/span>, aiming to cut Moscow\u2019s revenue for the war and make Russians feel the consequences of the invasion. Some areas have reported fuel shortages<\/span>.<\/p>\n

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X: \u201cOne of the most popular questions asked by Muscovites this morning is \u2018What is going on?\u2019 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\u2019s going on, ask Putin when he is planning to end it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Huge fires rage at Moscow refinery near Kremlin<\/h2>\n

Images and video released by the Russian media showed massive fires raging at the Moscow Oil Refinery, located about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the Kremlin. Thick black clouds of smoke rose over the city.<\/p>\n

The refinery is one of Russia\u2019s biggest, according to its official website, and produces more than a third of the Moscow region\u2019s fuel. It was last attacked by Ukrainian drones on Tuesday, catching fire, but officials said the blaze was swiftly put out. <\/p>\n

Flights from four Moscow airports were temporarily halted, transport and aviation authorities said.<\/p>\n

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In the Moscow region, which surrounds but does not include the capital city, a drone hit a residential building in the town of Zhukovsky, and the building was being evacuated, according to Gov. Andrei Vorobyov.<\/p>\n

Buildings elsewhere in the region were damaged by drone debris and 16 people, including two children, were wounded, according to Vorobyov.<\/p>\n

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Ukrainian drone attack embarrasses Putin again<\/h2>\n

The Russian Defense Ministry said that its air defenses overnight shot down 555 Ukrainian drones over multiple regions, with almost 200 intercepted as they were approaching the Russian capital.<\/p>\n

Read more The pressure to have baby boys can harm African mothers\u2019 health<\/a><\/p>\n

That was roughly double the number of drones that Russia launched at Ukraine overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force.<\/p>\n

The attack was the latest embarrassment for Russian President Vladimir Putin, after a Ukrainian drone attack on his hometown of St. Petersburg<\/span> earlier this month just as he held a showcase economic forum in the city with foreign VIP visitors.<\/p>\n

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