Moscow woke up to an unsettling sight on Thursday: black specks falling from the sky, thick smoke rising above the city.
One question on many residents’ minds — is the war getting closer to home?
Ukraine launched its largest drone assault on Russia since the full-scale invasion began, firing nearly 200 drones toward the capital.
One of the main targets was the Kapotnya oil refinery in southeast Moscow, where explosions triggered a massive fire visible across the city.
Residents reported a strange drizzle that left dark stains on clothing and cars.
While Moscow authorities denied claims of “oil rain”.
They advised vulnerable people, including children and those with respiratory conditions, to leave the affected area and keep windows shut.
The attack injured 17 people and temporarily disrupted air travel, with hundreds of flights delayed or cancelled.
Strikes Bring War Closer to Moscow
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky framed the strike as retaliation for a recent Russian attack on Kyiv.
He warned: “If Ukraine burns, your Moscow will burn too.” Russia responded with threats of intensified military action.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said future strikes would be delivered “on a mass scale”.
As drone warfare reaches deeper into Russian territory.
Ordinary Muscovites are increasingly experiencing a conflict once viewed as distant.
The battlefield may still be hundreds of miles away, but for many residents, the smoke on the horizon is becoming impossible to ignore.
