Ukraine struck a key oil refinery in Moscow early Thursday morning for the second time this week, Russian officials said, as Kyiv increasingly targets Russian energy infrastructure in long-range attacks. Several drones hit the Moscow Oil Refinery in the southeastern district of Kapotnya, said Sergei Sobyanin, mayor of the Russian capital city, on Telegram, according to Reuters.

Attack Details

More than four dozen drones heading toward Moscow were downed, he said. Video geolocated by CNN showed the moment of an explosion at the refinery. In the video, thick black smoke can be seen billowing from a section of the facility before a large explosion rocks another part of complex, blowing the roof of a large fuel tank container into the air.

An apartment building in Zhukovsky, outside Moscow, was also hit by a drone, according to Russian state media TASS, citing Moscow regional Gov. Andrey Vorobyov. The strike damaged the building and some balconies, but there were no casualties, he said.

Global Implications

Thursday’s Moscow strike comes after a drone strike “damaged a facility on the grounds” of the same refinery on Tuesday, Sobyanin said at the time. Ukraine has launched extensive drone attacks against Russian refineries and military facilities in recent months, with targets including naval facilities, oil depots and terminals.

Russia’s state budget relies on oil earnings for at least one-third of its revenue, according to analysts. Since the Ukraine war began, the pool of buyers for Russian oil has shrunk, thanks to stricter sanctions from the European Union and Washington.

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.