Black Rain over Moscow after massive Ukrainian drone strike
Nearly 200 drones launched from Ukraine took aim at an oil refinery in south‑eastern Moscow – the biggest hit since the war began. The blast turned the plant into a smoking crater and rained down black oil droplets across the surrounding neighbourhoods.
Residents reported fine black specks on their clothes and windows, and 17 people were reported wounded in the region. The Moscow governor confirmed the damage, while defence ministry officials said almost 1,000 drones and four cruise missiles were intercepted across the country.
The attack follows Russia’s latest bombing of the Pechersk Lavra monastery in Kyiv. Ukrainian officials say it’s a response – “if you burn, we burn back” – to the city‑wide destruction that Moscow rockets have caused.
Moscow airports closed temporarily, killing about 500 flights, and the authorities urged residents to keep windows shut and evacuate. Russia’s air‑defence systems were hit only by a handful of drones, detailing the limits of the city’s shield.
Images of black‑softed skies and a shattered silo show the scale of the destruction. A live video shows the courier of poisonous‑smelling spray reaching the streets, confirming the “black rain” that critics insist may be harmful over time.
For more on this event, check out the full BBC clips and the inside story on how digital warfare can spill into everyday city life.
