Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow's Kapotnya oil refinery on Thursday for the second time this week, causing visible fires and smoke.
Russian air defence forces shot down more than five dozen drones over the Moscow region, according to Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
Russia retaliated by launching ballistic missiles at the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, triggering air raid alerts across the country.
Ukrainian drones hit Moscow's oil refinery in Kapotnya on Thursday for the second time this week as Russia launched ballistic missiles at Kyiv in a parallel escalation.
"Air defense forces continue to repel a massive attack. Several drones managed to reach the Moscow oil refinery," Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram, as reported by Reuters.
The dual strikes occurred as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy engaged in diplomatic talks with U.S. and European leaders to push for a peace deal.
Refinery Strikes Fuel Crisis
Russian air defences downed more than five dozen drones over Moscow on Thursday. The barrage caused minor damage to a shopping centre. A Reuters witness saw flames and plumes of smoke over the southeastern district of Kapotnya where the Moscow refinery is located. This attack follows a previous drone strike on Tuesday that halted operations at the Kapotnya refinery.
Russia is the world's third-biggest oil producer. Industry sources said the country is set to import fuel by sea this month to manage gasoline shortages caused by extensive strikes on its energy infrastructure, Reuters reported.
The attacks disrupted local transport and infrastructure. Sheremetyevo airport suspended flights and evacuated passengers to parking shelters before lifting restrictions. A high-rise residential building, an industrial facility and several private houses sustained damage in the surrounding Moscow region, the regional governor said.
Missiles Rain On Kyiv
Kyiv faced its second air attack this week as Russian ballistic missiles targeted the Ukrainian capital.
"The enemy is attacking the capital with ballistic missiles. Stay in safe places until the air raid alert is over!" Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said in a Telegram post.
A Reuters witness heard explosions in Kyiv, and a separate drone attack killed one person in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy. Air strike alerts were issued for most of Ukraine's territory. The bombardment follows a major Russian strike on Kyiv earlier in the week that killed 10 people and damaged a 1,000-year-old spiritual monastery, which Russia denied striking.
Diplomacy Amid Escalating Toll
Zelenskyy described the diplomatic talks as a "coordinating conversation" with U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the G7 meeting in France.
Trump said on Wednesday that Russia is losing more soldiers than Ukraine, suggesting both nations are open to negotiations. The Kremlin denied discussing a potential meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy, and Russia has said Ukraine was losing, Reuters reported. The conflict has lasted four years since Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion, with both sides consistently denying they target civilians.
Civilian casualties mounted across multiple border regions. Strikes killed a man in his car in Belgorod and another person in Enerhodar, a town housing Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant staff, Mayor Maksim Pukhov said on Telegram. A drone attack in Rostov killed one person and ignited fires at commercial facilities.
Moscow accused Ukraine of attacking a bus carrying Belarusian children on Wednesday. Kyiv dismissed the accusation as "false", Reuters reported.
