Ukraine Drone Attack on Moscow, Russia Claims Largest Assault in at Least Two Years

(CNA Moscow, June 18, Comprehensive Foreign News) Russian officials stated that Ukraine launched its largest drone attack on Moscow in at least two years today, causing multiple fires in the capital and surrounding areas and forcing the evacuation of passengers from Russia's largest airport.

According to Agence France-Presse, unverified videos on social media showed black smoke rising into the sky over Moscow, with drones also seen hovering in the air.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on the messaging app Telegram, "Air defense forces are continuously repelling a large-scale attack, and several drones have flown to the Moscow Refinery (MNPZ)." Authorities have implemented traffic control around the refinery.

Sobyanin did not specify the extent of damage to the refinery, but several Russian media outlets reported that the refinery caught fire.

Sheremetyevo Airport, Russia's busiest, stated that passengers were evacuated to safe locations during the attack and that flight operations were restricted.

Moscow Oblast Governor Andrei Vorobyov said that one drone crashed into an apartment building in the Zhukovsky district of Moscow, and drone debris caused a fire in a shopping center in the capital's suburbs.

Sobyanin indicated that Russian air defense systems had shot down 180 drones heading to Moscow; the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that over 500 Ukrainian drones were intercepted overnight.

Russian state media TASS reported that this was the largest attack Moscow had experienced in at least two years.

U.S. President Trump, speaking earlier this week at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France, said that Moscow should "reach an agreement" with Ukraine to end the war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly refused face-to-face talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and stated that Russia will seize the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine by force.

Zelenskyy stated today that Ukrainian forces attacked a refinery near Moscow overnight, as well as other targets within Russia and in occupied territories, calling these actions a "justified response" to Russian attacks.

Zelenskyy posted on the social platform X, "The Moscow Refinery was attacked for the second time this week, and targets in the Rostov region and temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine were also hit. This is a completely justified response to Russia's attacks on our cities and communities." (Compiled by Liu Wen-yu) 1150618

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