Russian air defences shot down around 60 Ukrainian drones over Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Tuesday.
One drone hit a site on the grounds of an oil refinery in Moscow, Sobyanin said, adding that no one had been injured. Emergency crews were clearing debris from downed drones, he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video to his Telegram channel showing a structure at an oil refinery engulfed in flames.
He praised Kiev’s intelligence services for “their effective work.” The refinery, located within Moscow’s city limits, is 500 kilometres from the Ukrainian border.
“Russia must be forced to end the war against our people,” said Zelensky, who was attending the G7 summit of leading industrialized democracies in the French spa town of Évian on Tuesday.
He is likely to cite the strike as further evidence during meetings with Western allies that, in his view, the tide of the war has turned in Ukraine’s favour.
The drone alert disrupted the Russian capital's four airports. Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports were the first to suspend operations temporarily, before Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo also halted take-offs and landings.
Russian travellers have faced frequent flight cancellations and delays during the holiday season, with drone alerts now affecting air traffic almost daily.
The Defence Ministry said on Tuesday morning that a total of 172 drones had been shot down over various regions. The ministry did not provide information on any damage caused.
Oil depot burns in southern Russia
The Ukrainian drone attacks once again targeted oil industry facilities.
Authorities in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar said an oil depot in the settlement of Poltavskaya had been hit and caught fire.
Videos circulating on social media, which could not initially be verified, appeared to show a large plume of smoke.
Ukraine has been targeting Russia's oil industry in an effort to disrupt military supplies and hit energy exports that generate billions in revenue for Moscow.
Attacks on refineries and fuel depots have led to petrol shortages in many areas. Fuel prices have also risen.
