Ukraine launched an extensive 555-drone barrage across Russia on Thursday as the ongoing war escalated into deep-strike energy targeting. The Russian defense ministry reported intercepting the aerial vehicles nationwide, with 180 shot down around Moscow.
- The Russian defense ministry reported 555 incoming drones, with 180 targeting the Moscow region.
- Fires at the Moscow Oil Refinery disrupted a facility responsible for 40% of the city’s fuel market.
- Sheremetyevo airport suspended all flight operations and evacuated personnel during the aerial assault.
The strikes forced the evacuation of Sheremetyevo airport, halted local flights, and severely damaged the Moscow Oil Refinery. The resulting fires triggered closures on the highway surrounding the capital.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the operation was direct retaliation for recent Russian missile strikes on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery. The 975-year-old UNESCO-listed site suffered an estimated $10 million in structural damages, forcing religious officials to hastily evacuate 17th- and 18th-century icons.
The military escalation coincides with shifting diplomatic and financial maneuvers among Western allies. Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced Thursday that allied partners at the 35th Ramstein format meeting pledged $4 billion in new military assistance.
Simultaneously, political leaders at the G7 summit in Évian, France, discussed potential off-ramps for the conflict. U.S. President Donald Trump stated he is prepared to mediate peace efforts and has held direct conversations with both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. European governments expressed concern during the summit that the U.S. might push Ukraine toward territorial concessions to secure an agreement.
Ukraine’s persistent targeting of energy infrastructure is actively destabilizing the Russian fuel market. Russia is now importing fuel by sea this month to manage cascading domestic gasoline shortages caused by the repeated refinery outages.