Ukraine struck the Moscow oil refinery for the second time this week, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday, calling the overnight long-range attack a justified response to Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities.
The latest strikes also hit targets in Russia’s Rostov region and in territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russian forces, Zelenskyy said.
He called the operation another blow against the facilities that keep Russia’s war effort running.
Zelenskyy credited the Security Service of Ukraine, the Unmanned Systems Forces, the Special Operations Forces, Defense Intelligence and a missile brigade for carrying out the strikes.
He said Ukraine’s partners had pointed to the precision of its mid-range and long-range strikes in recent days.
It is time the war ended, and Russia must take the necessary steps in diplomacy. — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
The overnight attack followed an earlier strike on the same facility Tuesday, Virginia Times reported.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian forces hit the refinery in Moscow’s Kapotnya district, Zelenskyy said. The facility processes 250,000 barrels of oil a day and supplies up to 40% of the region’s fuel.
“This time, the Moscow region felt the reach of Ukraine’s long-range capabilities,” Zelenskyy said of Tuesday’s strike. He said the refinery was hit from a distance of 500 kilometers.
Zelenskyy said that operation was meant to pressure Russia to end the war. “Russia must be forced to end its war against our people,” he wrote, adding that Ukraine’s long-range weapons were an important part of that pressure.
Russian air defenses downed dozens of drones during Tuesday’s operation, according to Russian officials. No casualties were reported.
The strikes follow a rise in Ukrainian long-range drone attacks this year. Moscow had faced fuel shortages before the operation.
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