A fine drizzle left “unpleasant black spots” on the clothes of residents in south-east Moscow on Thursday, after Ukraine launched its largest ever drone attack on the Russian capital, striking a major oil refinery and sending columns of thick smoke billowing over the city.
The attack, involving close to 200 drones, was a direct response to last week’s Russian assault on Kyiv that set ablaze the historic Pechersk Lavra monastery, according to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. “We don’t want this war and have never wanted it,” he said. “But if Ukraine burns, your Moscow will burn too.”
“Residents reported black spots on clothes after nearly 200 Ukrainian drones hit a Moscow oil refinery, injuring 17.”
The main target was the Kapotnya refinery, which supplies up to 40% of Moscow’s petrol and about half of its diesel. It was hit for the third time in a month and the second time this week. Footage verified by the BBC shows the top of a large silo being blown off by a huge explosion, sending the roof of the oil storage tank dozens of metres into the air. A nearby shopping centre also caught fire after drone debris fell on it.
Seventeen people were wounded in the Moscow region, according to local governor Andrei Vorobyov. In the southern Rostov region, an oil depot was struck, killing one person. Moscow authorities denied that any “oil rain” had fallen, but the city’s official Telegram channel warned residents of the affected district to keep windows closed and said families with children, elderly people and asthmatics should urgently leave the area.
One local woman told the BBC that she noticed the black spots on her clothes and her friend’s jacket, adding: “We’ll now be keeping an eye on whether our hair starts falling out because of petroleum products.” Moscow’s four airports were temporarily shut and more than 500 flights were cancelled or delayed.
The sheer scale of the attack appeared to strain Russian air defences. Videos circulating online showed Ukrainian drones flying over the city largely unchallenged. Alongside conventional drones, Ukraine used jet-powered missile drones such as the Bars hybrid, which are faster and harder to intercept. Moscow also faces constraints in deploying its air defence systems, as falling debris can cause casualties in a densely populated city.
In response, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said strikes on Ukraine would be delivered “on a mass scale”, adding he had been “convinced for a long time that words are not enough”. Andrey Gurulyov, a retired lieutenant general and state duma deputy, called for Russia to “strike the enemy mercilessly”.
Zelensky, who told an EU summit he wanted the war to end by the end of the year, said the attack demonstrated Ukraine’s growing capability. “The future of Europe – free, united and of course in peace – is being decided in our defence,” he said.