Ukraine struck an oil refinery in Moscow for the second time this week, with President Volodymyr Zelensky calling it a "justified response" to recent Russian attacks on Kyiv.
Russia claimed it intercepted hundreds of Ukrainian drones, suspended flights at all four Moscow airports, and battled fires following the attack.
The strike came hours before President Vladimir Putin was due to host ASEAN leaders in Kazan, highlighting the continued escalation of the war.
Oil Refinery Hit, Flights Suspended as Ukraine Strikes Moscow
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the strike as a "fully justified response" to Russia's recent attacks on Ukrainian cities
Summary
Ukraine on Thursday targeted an oil refinery in Moscow for the second time this week, triggering large fires and thick black smoke over parts of the Russian capital as the war entered another phase of escalation.
Videos circulating on social media showed flames engulfing the facility as emergency services responded to the blaze.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the strike as a "fully justified response" to Russia's recent attacks on Ukrainian cities.
"This is a fully justified response to Russian attacks on our cities and communities, and another important result of our warriors' work against facilities that sustain Russia's war machine," Zelensky said in a post on X.
He also urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to return to dialogue and diplomacy, saying it was time to end the war. A request that the Russian President has repeatedly denied.
Attack Follows Deadly Russian Strikes On Kyiv
The Ukrainian operation came days after Russia launched one of its most destructive aerial attacks on Kyiv in recent months.
According to Ukrainian officials, Russian missiles and drones struck multiple cities, including the capital, killing at least 11 people. Among the sites hit was the Dormition Cathedral within the UNESCO-listed Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery complex, causing damage to cultural and civilian infrastructure.
Kyiv said Thursday's strike on Moscow was carried out in retaliation for those attacks.
Russian authorities said air defence systems intercepted a massive wave of Ukrainian drones across several regions.
Officials claimed that 555 drones were shot down nationwide, while around 200 were intercepted as they approached Moscow.
Following the attack, Russia's Transport Ministry suspended operations at all four airports serving the capital — Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky — until further notice as a precaution.
Putin's ASEAN Summit
The attack took place just hours before Putin was scheduled to host leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Kazan.
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The Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Prime Ministers from Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore were sent by their nations.
Addressing ASEAN leaders on Wednesday, Putin said Russia and the bloc supported "a just world order" based on sovereign equality and non-interference in internal affairs.
The two-day summit is expected to focus on strengthening Russia's economic partnerships and regional engagement as Moscow continues to face international pressure over its more than four-year-long war with Ukraine.
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