Ukraine attacks the Moscow region

According to a post by Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, a fire broke out at the Moscow refinery in the Kapotnya district. Several drones reportedly hit the facility. The Ukrainska Pravda portal reports that the attack on the refinery is a significant blow to the Russian war machine and economy. The targeted site is located 15 kilometres from the Kremlin and is part of Moscow’s critical fuel infrastructure. It provides approximately 40 percent of the Moscow region’s total demand for gasoline and 50 percent of its demand for diesel. It is also used to produce aviation fuel for the military.

Sobyanin announced that Russian air defenses shot down 137 Ukrainian drones over the region. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported the downing of 555 UAVs over the country’s territory. However, shooting down a drone does not solve the entire problem. Debris from the downed devices falls to the ground, threatening the safety of local infrastructure and the civilian population. One of the downed UAVs fell on the Sadovod shopping center. One of the buildings was reportedly “slightly” damaged. Independent Russian media reported that drones or their debris hit the Belaya Dacha shopping center in Lyubertsy, where a fire broke out. Residential houses and dachas in other localities of the Moscow region were also damaged.

Ukrainian deep-strike attacks demonstrate the development of Kyiv’s capabilities over the years of the ongoing war. While we are not observing decisive changes on the front lines in favor of Ukraine, attention should be paid to the Ukrainian strikes hitting increasingly closer to the Kremlin.