An oil refinery in the Moscow region was struck in one of the largest Ukrainian drone attacks on the Russian capital since the full-scale invasion began, local authorities reported on Sunday. At least two people were killed in the assault, which coincided with the final day of Russia's three-day parliamentary election. The attack underscores the escalating use of drone warfare in the conflict, with energy infrastructure repeatedly targeted by both sides despite claims of a moratorium.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin stated that over 1,600 drones had been intercepted since Saturday, including 450 aimed at the capital, making it one of the most intense attacks on the city to date. He noted that numerous drones reached the oil refinery, and another struck an apartment building. The extent of the damage to the refinery remains unconfirmed. Sobyanin described the attack as "unprecedented" and claimed it was "clearly planned with the aim of disrupting the elections." The Russian Defense Ministry, meanwhile, reported a drone attack on a bus in the Russian-occupied Kherson region, which killed two people, including an election official.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the strike had "a very significant impact," asserting that the oil from the refinery funds "billions of dollars to sustain the war machine." In a post on X, he urged Moscow to "end its brutal war and choose peace instead of building layered rings of air defense at the expense of other regions." Ukraine's repeated targeting of oil refineries has led to oil product shortages and fuel price increases in Russia, according to Ukrainian officials.
In Ukraine, four people were killed in a Russian drone attack in the Kyiv region, local authorities said. Among the casualties were a mother and her two 3-year-old children, as well as a girl who was taken to a hospital in another district and later died. The southwestern Fastiv district suffered damage to homes and industrial buildings. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed it struck a warehouse of drone and missile maker Fire Point in the Kyiv region, as well as a cargo vessel and a postal logistics center in the Odesa region, alleging both were used for military shipments.
The attacks come amid heightened tensions, with US President Donald Trump previously claiming that both sides had agreed to stop targeting energy infrastructure. However, the strikes have continued unabated, raising doubts about the effectiveness of any such agreement. Russia has been repeatedly carrying out drone attacks on the Ukrainian capital in recent weeks, while Ukraine has intensified its efforts to disrupt Russian oil exports. The international community remains concerned about the escalating violence and its humanitarian toll.
Source: www.dw.com