Russia threatens escalation after Ukraine hits Moscow with largest-ever drone attack

Black smoke rises from the area of the Russian oil producer Gazprom Neft's Moscow oil refinery on the south-eastern outskirts of Moscow on June 18, 2026. - | Afp | Getty Images Russia has pledged to carry out frequent and "massive group strikes" against Ukraine shortly after Kyiv launched a barrage of drones on Moscow, triggering a huge explosion in one of the Russian capital's key oil refineries. Ukrainian forces conducted a large-scale attack against Moscow on Wednesday evening and Thursday, heavily targeting a major oil refinery located on the south-eastern outskirts of the city. Nearly 200 drones were reportedly used in the attack, marking Ukraine's biggest-ever air raid on Russia's capital. Authorities said 16 people had been injured, while four Moscow airports temporarily grounded flights. Columns of black smoke were seen billowing from Gazprom's Moscow Refinery on Thursday, a facility that has been targeted by Ukrainian forces multiple times in recent weeks. "It is no coincidence that the president announced some time ago, after yet another Kyiv terrorist attack, that we will now conduct massive group strikes on a regular basis against targets whose condition directly affects the combat readiness of the Ukrainian Armed Forces," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Kazan on Thursday, according to Interfax . …