Ukrainian drones slipped past three rings of air defenses around Moscow and struck a major oil processing plant Kyiv announced on Thursday in its latest long-range operation.

The large-scale strike hit the Moscow Oil Refinery one of the country largest facilities for the second time in days and stands as the biggest assault on the capital since fighting started in 2022.

Even with three layers of air defense systems placed around Moscow as noted earlier we will still reach them Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in a message to reporters.

Back in early May he noted that Russia had shifted many air defense units to Moscow from other areas to shield the city before the May 9 Victory Day events.

Zelenskyy added on Thursday that if Russian leader Vladimir Putin refuses to stop the conflict and keeps it going Ukraine will not remain passive but will reply with force and fairness.

We do not wish to see Ukraine in flames from enemy actions Zelenskyy said but if our land burns then Moscow will face the same.

The Ukrainian armed forces verified the early Thursday strike and noted the refinery far from active battle zones produces over 12 million tons of oil each year supporting both the economy and military supply lines.

Videos from the city captured multiple blasts and thick black smoke clouds with one clip showing a drone hitting a storage tank and launching its lid high into the air.

Ukrainian forces reported hits and fires at the site with early assessments indicating several refining units were ablaze.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin stated that air defenses downed over 190 Ukrainian drones throughout Thursday Russian media cited his figures calling it the biggest attack on the city in two years.

In a Telegram post Sobyanin confirmed some drones reached the refinery and said steps are underway to limit the damage.

Kyiv has targeted the Moscow Oil Refinery several times in its ongoing effort against Russian energy sites with strikes on the capital growing more frequent as drone range improves.

Ukraine often deploys long-range drones against Russian energy locations to cut oil revenue and block fuel supplies to troops on the front.

Zelenskyy has described these actions as long-range sanctions on Moscow while also striking ports airfields and arms plants with drones and missiles.

The main goal is for Russians to realize that only one person is pushing this war Putin while ordinary citizens bear the costs the president told reporters.

Alongside these deep strikes Kyiv focuses on mid-range attacks hitting Russian sites and supply routes up to 200 miles inside enemy territory analysts view these moves as the start of a fresh stage in the conflict.