18/06/2026 09:10 - Internacionales
Vista nocturna de una refinería de petróleo industrial con grandes llamas y densas columnas de humo negro elevándose desde tanques de almacenamiento, iluminada por el resplandor del fuego contra un cielo oscuro.
The Russian capital woke up on June 18, 2026 to explosions and columns of smoke darkening the sky, after a new Ukrainian drone attack managed to penetrate Russian air defenses and strike the Moscow Oil Refinery (MNPZ) for the second time in a week. The facility is located in the Kapotnya district, about 15 kilometers from the Kremlin—the symbolic seat of Russian power.
The MNPZ refinery is a fundamental piece of Russian energy infrastructure:
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin—a key ally of President Vladimir Putin and one of Russia's most powerful regional officials—reported that Russian air defense shot down more than 70 drones from Wednesday night into Thursday morning. However, he acknowledged that "several drones managed to reach" the installation. A shopping center also suffered minor damage.
From Brussels, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky—the wartime leader who has become the face of Ukrainian resistance since Russia's full-scale invasion—called the attack "absolutely justified" and issued a stark warning: "If Ukraine burns, Moscow will burn". The president emphasized that Russian society must experience the consequences of the war launched by Vladimir Putin.
This attack comes as direct retaliation for the Russian bombing that on Monday struck a historic cathedral in Kyiv—the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves), a UNESCO World Heritage Site founded in 1051 and one of the most sacred sites in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. The attack occurs at a critical moment:
| Event | Significance |
|---|---|
| ASEAN Summit in Kazan | Putin hosted Asian leaders, attempting to project stability amid ongoing conflict. |
| Ramstein Group Meeting | Zelensky met with allies in Brussels to request more air defense systems and advance Ukraine's EU integration. |
| Maritime Fuel Imports | Russia plans to import fuel by sea to address shortages caused by these attacks. |
Videos shared on social media showed the magnitude of the impact: a drone blew the cover off one of the refinery tanks more than 30 meters into the air. In the Moscow region, a high-rise residential building, an industrial facility, and several private homes were also damaged. Sheremetyevo International Airport—one of Moscow's main airports—temporarily suspended operations.
Simultaneously, Russia launched its second aerial attack of the week with ballistic missiles against Kyiv, according to Ukrainian capital officials. One person died in a drone attack in the Sumy region of northeastern Ukraine.
President Zelensky, currently in Brussels participating in the meeting of the Ramstein Group—a coalition of over 50 countries coordinating military aid to Ukraine—expressed hope for increased financial contributions to the PURL program (acquisition of American weaponry, especially air defense systems). He also announced talks with the German military industry to advance development of a European anti-ballistic system, and will seek to convince EU member states to open necessary chapters in July to evaluate Ukraine's integration into the bloc.
The Ukraine Defense Contact Group, commonly known as the Ramstein Group, is a coalition of countries formed in April 2022 that meets regularly at Ramstein Air Base in Germany to coordinate military assistance for Ukraine against Russian aggression.
Sources: Infobae, Deutsche Welle, Reuters.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
