There are flying saucers in Moscow. This is war coming to the heart of Russia

Kiev is trying to shake up the Russian oil industry, whose revenues finance the Kremlin’s war effort, and maintains that its attacks inside Russia prove that Ukraine is reversing course in the conflict.

For the second time in three days, Ukrainian drones hit an oil refinery southeast of Moscow, causing a fire that released dense clouds of black smoke and forced the suspension of flights at all airports in the Russian capital.

The target is located at just 16 km from the Kremlinwithin the ring road that surrounds the city.

According to the agency, the attack caused an explosion so intense that the tampa of a deposit of oil was projected to the sky.

The image of huge flying disc among clouds of smoke in the skies of the Russian capital deserved a comment on X from the Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs. “THE Photo of the Day comes to us today from Moscow“, Margus Tsahkna.

Thursday’s dawn attacks are part of a broader campaign by Kiev to affect the Russian oil industrywhose revenues finance the Kremlin’s war effort, says Reuters.

The attack caused significant disruption in Moscow. According to the Mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyaninair defenses intercepted at least 180 dronesbut an unintercepted drone hit a shopping center. Russian media also reported damage to a residential building and several private homes.

According to , the four city airports (Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Zhukovsky and Sheremetyevo) have suspended arrivals and departures.

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, confirmed the attack. “Tonight, our Far-reaching sanctions have returned to the Moscow region — for the second time this week, the Moscow refinery was hit”, the Ukrainian head of state on the social network X.

Last night, our long-range sanctions once again reached the Moscow region – for the second time this week, the Moscow oil refinery was hit. Targets were also struck in the Rostov region and in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. This is a fully justified response to…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Volodymyr Zelensky (@ZelenskyyUa)

Zelenskyy classified the attack as a “fully justified” retaliation by Russian bombings over Kiev over the weekend, which caused several deaths and .

The Ukrainian president, who also confirmed attacks in Russia’s Rostov region and in areas of Ukraine occupied by Russia, urged Moscow to negotiate: “It is time for the war to end, and Russia must take the necessary steps on diplomacy”.

Kiev maintains that its attacks inside Russia prove that Ukraine is reverse the course of the wara message that Zelensky took this week to US President Donald Trump and other G7 leaders, meeting in France.

Moscow rejects, however, that the situation on the battlefield is changing in favor of Kiev. According to a Kremlin advisor, Donald Trump was “manipulated” at the G7 summit by “hostile positions towards Russia“.

In recent weeks, there have been gasoline supply failures in some areas of Russia, one of the world’s largest oil producers. Industry sources told Reuters that the country is expected to import fuel by sea this month.

The Kremlin guarantees that the situation in the capital is “normal”but this Thursday, says , FAS, the Russian competition authority, asked Neftmagistral, which operates around 100 gas stations in the Russian capital region, for explanations for having increased the price of gasoline by 19% of 95 octane within a week.

For Kiev, the attacks also have a symbolic value. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybihaaddressed directly the inhabitants of the Russian capital.

“Your country has started a war of aggression against ours. It has been killing our people for years. Now that you know what’s going on, ask Putin when you intend to end this”, Sybiha in X.

As images of fire and destruction in the Russian capital caused by the Ukrainian attacks in recent days on the internet, often accompanied by jocular and unflattering comments for the Kremlin.

Andrey Medvedevpro-government blogger and Russian television presenter, argues that whoever published these images should be prosecuted.

“A few days ago, some idiots filmed and published the videoand the enemy saw him, assessed him and adjusted the next attack. Therefore, whoever published the video is committing pure betrayal“, he wrote on Telegram. Apparently, the lid went off.