Russia Threatens Mass Strikes on Ukraine After Major Drone Attack on Moscow

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has announced that Russia will conduct regular mass strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure critical to the combat readiness of the Ukrainian military, following a large-scale drone attack on the Moscow region early on June 18. Lavrov stated that the directive had been issued by President Vladimir Putin and that the military is already executing it. "It is no coincidence that the president announced some time ago, after another antics by the Kiev terrorist, that we will now conduct mass group strikes on a regular basis. On targets whose condition directly affects the combat capability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This task has been set by the supreme commander-in-chief, our armed forces are carrying it out and will continue to carry it out," Lavrov said, as quoted by TASS. The attack, which targeted the Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotnya and the Sadovod shopping complex, caused fires, black smoke over the capital, and a "petrol rain" in nearby suburbs, leaving oily residues on cars and windowsills. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that 194 Ukrainian drones were intercepted in the Moscow region. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that a total of 555 drones were intercepted over 18 regions and the Sea of Azov overnight, and 992 Ukrainian drones were shot down over the previous day. In response to the drone attack, Russia launched a group strike on Ukrainian fuel and energy facilities less than a day earlier, following a Ukrainian attack on a bus carrying children from Belarus in the Bryansk region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack on Moscow an "absolutely justified response" to a Russian strike on the Assumption Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra on June 15. He warned that if Putin does not want to end the war, Ukraine will retaliate: "If Ukraine burns, your Moscow will burn too." Zelensky called on Russia to begin diplomatic negotiations to end the conflict. The drone attack caused significant disruption to air travel, with all Moscow airports temporarily suspending operations. According to reports, 527 flights were delayed or canceled, with Aeroflot and its subsidiary Rossiya canceling over 170 flights. The Association of Tour Operators of Russia estimates that at least 8,000 tourists were affected. Despite the scale of the attack, federal television channels devoted minimal airtime to the event.