Ukraine attacks Russia with drones, hits a power plant and oil refinery in Moscow

Ukraine carried out one of the largest attacks since the start of the conflict against Russia by attacking a major oil refinery in Moscow, as well as several other targets across Russia.

On Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that its air defenses intercepted or shot down more than 150 drones in 15 different regions. However, one of these drones managed to hit an oil refinery belonging to state-owned giant Gazprom, while another hit a power plant in the Tver region.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that the attack caused damage to an "adjacent technical facility" of the refinery but assured that emergency services managed to extinguish the flames without reporting any casualties. It also noted that the plant's operation was not seriously affected.

International and strategic reaction

The campaign of Ukrainian drone attacks came after Russia launched the largest missile and drone bombardment of the war, resulting in blackouts in some Ukrainian cities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that in the past week alone, Russia launched 160 missiles, 780 glide bombs and 400 explosive drones against Ukraine.

International pressures and restrictions.

Although Ukraine has managed to carry out significant drone attacks, it still has restrictions on using long-range missiles provided by Western countries. The Biden administration has allowed the use of artillery and short-range rockets against targets in Russia, but longer-range ATACMS missiles inside Russian territory remain prohibited.

To circumvent these restrictions, Ukraine has developed its own drone industry, allowing it to conduct strikes without relying solely on Western missiles. However, Ukraine continues to press its allies for permission to use ATACMS missiles in Russia, arguing that this is crucial to forcing Russia to seek an end to the war.