Under the amber glow of explosions illuminating Moscow's outskirts before dawn, Ukraine's largest drone swarm to date pierced Russia's thinned air defences, striking the heart of the capital's energy infrastructure.
The assault, involving 337 drones across six regions, severely damaged Moscow's largest oil refinery—responsible for half its fuel supply—and a control station for the Druzhba pipeline, a vital conduit for Russian oil exports to Central Europe.
The pipeline's disruption triggered immediate fallout in Hungary, which relies on it for 40% of its gas and most crude oil, meaning Budapest would have to scramble to secure costlier alternatives from Western allies, loosening Moscow's energy grip.
Kyiv's strikes signal a dual aim: choking Russia's wartime fuel reserves while destabilising its geopolitical leverage. For now, it remains to be seen whether Moscow's hurried repairs can withstand Ukraine's resolve to keep its skies—and energy empire—under siege.