Ukraine launched significant drone strikes targeting Moscow shortly after accusing Vladimir Putin of attempting to derail Donald Trump’s call for a ceasefire.
The attacks included a strike on a major oil refinery, resulting in ten explosions followed by a massive inferno. The targeted refinery was located just 55 miles from Putin’s £1 billion palace on the Black Sea.
In addition, Vnukovo Airport, used by Trump envoy Steve Witkoff to depart Moscow after a meeting with Putin and his senior officials, was closed due to the strikes.
This marked the second major Ukrainian attack on Moscow in just three days and appeared to be a direct response to Putin’s conditions for agreeing to a ceasefire.
The Tuapse Oil Refinery was engulfed in flames after the strike, with ten deafening explosions reported. The fire spread rapidly, producing huge flames and thick black smoke. Over 120 firefighters were deployed to tackle the blaze.
Krasnodar regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev accused Kyiv of being behind the attack, stating: “The Kyiv regime attacked the oil complex in Tuapse. One of the gasoline tanks caught fire.”
Meanwhile, Moscow experienced multiple drone strikes, causing car alarms to activate across the city, according to eyewitness reports.
The strikes targeted areas close to Putin’s usual highway route from his official residence to the Kremlin. Another strike occurred near a metro station, while several others caused damage to roofs and residential windows.
In one incident, a passerby filmed debris from a misfiring Russian Pantsir air defence system in the Moscow region.
The drone attacks targeted high-rise residential buildings in Moscow, coming just days after Putin’s forces launched an offensive on Ukraine’s infrastructure.
Russian air defences claimed they had intercepted and destroyed 337 Ukrainian drones across ten regions overnight. This included 91 drones near Moscow and 126 drones over the Kursk region, which is partially under Ukrainian control.
All four major Moscow airports – Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky – faced disruptions from the attacks, resulting in flight delays and cancellations.
