In a bold move, Ukraine targeted a Moscow oil refinery for the second time in a week and managed to disrupt commercial flights at Moscow airports, marking one of the largest drone assaults since Russia’s invasion began over four years ago, according to Russian officials on Thursday.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that its air defenses successfully intercepted 555 Ukrainian drones overnight across various regions, with nearly 200 being shot down as they approached the Russian capital.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that several of these drones struck the Moscow Oil Refinery located on the southeastern outskirts of the city.
This aggressive maneuver also led to a halt in flights from four key Moscow airports, as stated by the Russian Transport Ministry.
The attack coincided with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announcing that he had conducted a crucial coordination call with US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, suggesting that it could potentially lead to “significant change.”
Zelensky said Wednesday his country had won key pledges of further support from world leaders attending the G7 summit in France.
″These last few days were very important for Ukraine because it is the reunification of the G7 around Ukraine,″ Macron told reporters as he and Trump left the Palace of Versailles near Paris.
″And now we will continue to advance to help Ukraine to resist″ and to build up its ″capacity to defend itself and capacity to counterattack,” Macron said.
The attack comes as President Vladimir Putin is in Kazan, 430 miles east of Moscow, hosting leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as Russia seeks to bolster business and other ties.
The two-day meeting is set to consider ways to expand Russia’s “strategic partnership” with ASEAN nations that include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor and Vietnam, according to Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov.