19/06/2026 18:30 - Internacionales
Ataque nocturno con drones sobre Moscú, explosiones en refinería de petróleo con columnas de humo negro visible desde el Kremlin, cielo iluminado por destellos de defensas antiaéreas fallidas
In the early hours of June 18, 2026, Ukraine executed an unprecedented military operation: the largest drone attack on Moscow since the conflict began. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, a total of 555 drones were deployed across the country, with approximately 200 directly targeting the capital.
The human toll was immediate: 17 people injured in Moscow (including 2 children), 1 death in Rostov, 1 death in Belgorod, and 500 flights canceled at Moscow airports, disrupting travel for thousands.
The MNPZ refinery in Kapotnia, located just 15 kilometers from the Kremlin, was the main objective. This facility is critical to Russia's capital region, supplying 40% of Moscow's gasoline and 50% of its diesel fuel. Verified video footage shows massive columns of black smoke rising near the heart of Russian power.
Videos analyzed by military experts reveal a desperate and improvised response:
"Russia has a history of legacy systems that aren't 100% reliable"
— Markus Schiller, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
Since 2024, Ukraine has perfected its tactic of simultaneous multi-target attacks:
Commander Robert Brovdi estimated that Moscow has over 100 defense launchers and 50 Pantsir systems, but Ukraine has successfully overwhelmed them.
Experts consulted by CNN identified three critical structural problems:
Russian systems were designed for aircraft and conventional missiles, not for small, maneuverable drones.
Moscow cannot access the necessary technology to develop new defense systems.
Attacks from multiple directions require coordination that isn't being executed correctly.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky justified the attacks as a response to the Russian bombing of the Dormition Cathedral in Kyiv — the oldest and most sacred religious complex in Ukraine:
"If Ukraine burns, Moscow will burn too"
Zelensky secured a key advancement at the G7 summit in Évian, France: the possibility for Ukraine to produce under license the U.S. and European defense systems and missiles that are in short supply at Western factories.
The attack reached just 15 kilometers from the Kremlin, exposing the vulnerability of the heart of Russian power. The consequences:
The attack comes at a critical moment:
| US-Iran Agreement | Commemoration on 06/19 in Switzerland |
| G7 in France | Trump with ambivalent stance |
| Europe | Pressuring for ceasefire |
| Brent Oil | USD 83-84/barrel |
drones across Russia
drones on Moscow
injured in capital
flights canceled
Experts warn that Putin has limited options:
"Great geopolitical losses were sometimes more useful than brilliant victories"
— Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper
The Dormition Cathedral (Catedral de la Dormición) in Kyiv is Ukraine's oldest standing church, dating back to the 12th century. It is considered the spiritual heart of Ukrainian Orthodoxy. The Kremlin, located in central Moscow, serves as the official residence of the Russian presidency and is the symbolic center of Russian political power. The MNPZ Refinery (Moscow Oil Refinery) is one of Russia's largest fuel production facilities.
Sources: CNN, Reuters, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Royal United Services Institute, Russian Ministry of Defense.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
