A Ukrainian drone attack struck Moscow’s oil refinery in the southeastern Kapotnya district on Thursday, according to Russia’s state news agency TASS, which cited Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.Flames and thick plumes of smoke were seen rising from the Kapotnya district, where the refinery is located, a Reuters witness reported. There was no immediate information on casualties or the extent of the damage.The reported strike came as Russia launched another missile and drone attack on Kyiv overnight, prompting Ukrainian authorities to issue air raid alerts and urge residents to seek shelter. According to Reuters, explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital, while officials in the northeastern city of Sumy said one person was killed in a drone attack. The attack on the Moscow refinery follows a Ukrainian drone strike earlier this week that halted operations at the facility, according to sources cited by Reuters. The refinery has become one of several Russian energy installations targeted in Ukraine’s campaign against Russia’s fuel and energy infrastructure.Reuters reported that Russia, one of the world’s largest oil producers and fuel exporters, is preparing to import gasoline by sea this month to address a growing fuel shortage linked to repeated Ukrainian drone attacks on refineries across the country.Earlier on Wednesday, Moscow authorities said more than three dozen drones heading towards the Russian capital had been shot down. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said a shopping centre on the outskirts of Moscow suffered minor damage from falling drone debris, though no casualties were reported.
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The latest strike comes amid continued hostilities between Russia and Ukraine. Reuters reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke with US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and other leaders on the sidelines of a Group of Seven meeting, describing the discussions as a “coordinating conversation” aimed at ending the war.
