On June 18th local time, Moscow was covered in thick smoke.
According to reports from the United States' New York Times and Associated Press, on the 18th, Ukraine launched its second attack against a refinery in Moscow within a week. Dark smoke billowed into the sky, and some areas of Moscow experienced 'black rain' with dust. Four major airports were temporarily closed, causing disruptions in urban traffic.
This is one of the largest drone attacks launched by Ukraine against Moscow in more than four years since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. According to RT's report on the 19th, Moscow Mayor Sobyanin stated that at least 194 drones were shot down by air defense systems, but some still managed to penetrate the intercepting defenses. A shopping center and a refinery in Moscow were damaged during the attack, and Russian air defense systems continue to operate to deal with the ongoing drone attacks.
The attacked refinery is located in the southeast of Moscow, about 15 kilometers from the Kremlin. According to the refinery's website, it is one of Russia's largest refining facilities, producing more than one-third of the fuel for Moscow. On the 16th, it was attacked by Ukraine; this is the second time it has been hit in a week.
Social media has shared images of the moment the roof of a Russian refining facility was blown open. Social Media
A video released by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense shows that the top of the facility was overturned during the explosion, and the fire spread rapidly.
Residents in the southeast of Moscow reported hearing a loud noise from a drone hitting a refinery on the morning of the 18th. Subsequently, toxic smoke appeared over many areas, and online images showed what appeared to be “black rain” falling. The Moscow state environmental department advised residents to reduce outdoor activities, while denying the existence of “black rain,” stating that the rainfall was merely a mixture of dust and smoke.
After the Russian refinery was attacked, thick smoke billowed into the air. Video screenshot
The New York Times states that given the attacked refinery is responsible for most of Moscow's gasoline supply, this attack could further exacerbate fuel shortages across Russia. The Associated Press notes that Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian energy facilities in an effort to reduce Russian revenues and also to make Russian citizens feel the pain of the conflict. Independent Russian media reports indicate that gas stations in several regions of Russia have started implementing purchase limits, with one out of every four gas stations subject to some form of regulation.
However, within hours after the attack, Moscow issued a statement indicating that the supply of petroleum products in the city and the operation of gas stations were normal.
However, this round of attacks did cause disruptions to the Moscow traffic system. Four airports in the city were closed emergently, and some highways surrounding this Russian capital with a population of 13 million were also forced to be closed. According to data from a flight information website, over 500 flights in Moscow were delayed or canceled.
Sobyanin stated that a large open-air market in Moscow was damaged in a drone attack. Vorobyov revealed that a major shopping center was closed as a result, and another drone struck a high-rise apartment complex in the Zhukovsky suburb.
Hours after the attack, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said that the operation took place after a “important coordination call” with the presidents of the United States and France, and with further support obtained at this week’s G7 summit.
"If Ukraine is going to burn, Moscow will also burn." Zelensky stated, this attack was intended to force Russia back to the negotiating table, "Now is the time to end the war." He described this drone strike as a response to last week's attack on the Pechersk Monastery in Kyiv. But Russia denies that it was the Ukrainian air defense system which hit the monastery.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that this G7 summit is "very important" for Ukraine, as countries including the United States have promised to provide assistance to Ukraine, but no details were disclosed. When leaving the Palace of Versailles, Macron emphasized that "it is very important that the United States supports us on the issue of Ukraine."
According to the Associated Press, Zelenskyy held talks with NATO and EU leaders in Brussels. During these talks, Germany and Ukraine signed an agreement to jointly develop air defense systems for intercepting ballistic missiles. Zelenskyy described this as the beginning of the 'Ballistic Missile Defense Alliance' and invited more countries to join.
Russian side reacted firmly to the attack. The chairman of the State Duma, Voronin, warned that Moscow would respond by increasing its measures against them, saying, "Their actions will lead to countermeasures from us, and we will use stronger weapons to deal with them."
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said to the media on the 18th that the Russian military will carry out intensive strikes on the targets from which Ukraine relies to maintain its combat capabilities.
He said that, according to instructions from Russian President Putin, the Russian army will carry out intensive strikes against targets that are directly related to the combat effectiveness of the Ukrainian army. The Russian army will fulfill the task assigned by Putin, and this move is a response to the attack on Moscow by Ukraine.
