Ukraine Mounts a Large Drone Assault on Moscow, Striking a Refinery and Halting Airports

Ukraine launched what The New York Times called the largest wave of drone strikes on the Russian capital since the start of the war. The strikes hit a Moscow refinery and forced the city's airports to close for several hours. Russia's defense ministry said that 555 drones were shot down across the country, and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported about 180 downed around the capital alone.

Russian state media emphasized the scale of the air defense response and reported one person killed in the Rostov region, while playing down the damage. Independent and opposition channels in Russia described disruption on the ground, including reports that Moscow filling stations began raising fuel prices after the strikes. The capital's main airports, Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo and Domodedovo, later resumed operations.

The attack is part of a sustained Ukrainian effort to reduce Russian oil-processing capacity and the revenue that funds the war. Its economic significance is the contrast it exposes. Global crude prices are falling because of the Iran agreement, yet Russia faces localized fuel scarcity and strain on its refineries at home. That is a divergence between a loosening world market and a tightening domestic one.