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Escalating Drone Warfare: Ukrainian Strikes on Russian Chemical Plants Lead to Airport Chaos in Moscow

Escalating Drone Warfare: Ukrainian Strikes on Russian Chemical Plants Lead to Airport Chaos in Moscow

Russian military forces reportedly shot down 287 Ukrainian drones overnight, marking one of the highest totals for a single night since the onset of the conflict, according to statements from the Defense Ministry and officials on Thursday.

The temporary closure of airports led to the delay of 200 flights to and from Moscow. Eyewitness accounts also indicated that two fertilizer facilities were targeted in the western Novgorod and Smolensk regions.

The Defense Ministry indicated via Telegram that of the drones intercepted and shot down, 32 were on course for Moscow and 40 were aimed at the surrounding Moscow area.

Moscow’s Mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, informed that emergency services were responding to incidents involving drone debris throughout the night and into Thursday morning, although he did not provide details on any damage or injuries.

According to Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, operations at all four airports in the capital were temporarily halted. Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg mentioned it was accommodating diverted flights.

Overall, approximately 200 flights experienced cancellations or delays.

The drone strikes ignited a fire at or close to one of Russia’s largest chemical manufacturers, the Acron mineral fertilizer plant located in Veliky Novgorod, as reported by independent news outlet Astra, which geo-verified eyewitness footage.

Governor Alexander Dronov of the Novgorod region reported that 19 drones were intercepted overnight, with one individual injured and “minor” damage to structures. Astra noted it could not confirm whether the Acron facility was directly impacted based on the available footage.

There are also reports of potential attacks on Acron’s subsidiary, PAO Dorogobuzh, in the Smolensk region near the Belarus border, according to eyewitness accounts cited by the outlet.

Vasily Anokhin, Governor of the Smolensk region, stated that there was no damage to infrastructure and no reported injuries resulting from the attacks.

In Ukraine, the head of the Poltava regional military administration mentioned that Russian forces targeted local energy infrastructure overnight, leading to fires.

In a recent interview, the CEO of Ukraine’s state gas operator told AFP that the nation might be facing its most challenging winter since the beginning of the Russian offensive in February 2022.

Naftogaz CEO Sergiy Koretsky noted that the strikes this year have been more frequent and commenced earlier in the winter, worsening the situation.

An analysis by AFP of Ukrainian air force data reveals that Russia has been launching unprecedented quantities of drones and missiles against Ukraine in recent months.

Ukraine and its allies continue to advocate for a resolution to Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II, with officials in Kyiv stating on Wednesday that an updated proposal was delivered to Washington.

Reporting contributed by AFP.

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Russian Ruble Dips After EU Unveils New Sanctions on Energy and Banks Текст: The Russian ruble tumbled sharply on Wednesday, erasing part of its recent gains as investors reacted to fresh concerns over Western sanctions and weakening oil export revenues. The dollar surged nearly 3% in a few hours on the Moscow Exchange, climbing from 78.2 rubles in early trading to 80.49 by 1:45 p.m. local time. The euro jumped above 91 rubles, while the Chinese yuan rose almost 2% to 11.04 rubles. By late afternoon, the ruble had regained some ground, with the dollar retreating to 79.65 and the euro to 91.39. The ruble has been one of the world’s best-performing currencies in 2025, gaining roughly 40% since January. But analysts say the sharp pullback may signal a turning point. Its decline on Wednesday “may be tied to discussions in the EU about a new package of sanctions targeting Russian financial institutions and energy exports,” said Natalia Milchakova, a senior analyst at Freedom Finance Global. A proposed 18th round of EU sanctionsintroducedby the European Commission on Tuesday includes plans to disconnect 22 more Russian banks from the SWIFT global payment system, blacklist dozens of tankers involved in circumventing oil trade restrictions and ban transactions with the Nord Stream gas pipelines. The measures would also lower the price cap on Russian crude exports from $60 to $45 per barrel. Under the cap mechanism, oil sold above the limit would be ineligible for Western insurance and transport services — a move aimed at squeezing revenue from Russian energy exports. Experts warn that these measures, if adopted by the United States and G7 allies, could deliver the most serious blow to Russian oil exports since the European embargo imposed in late 2022. Sanctions have already sidelined much of the Kremlin’s “shadow fleet,” and if the price cap is lowered, Greek shipping firms — which have been instrumental in transporting Russian oil — may exit the market altogether, the Moscow-based Institute for Energy and Finance said. As a result, a noticeable reduction in seaborne oil exports from Russia is likely … and the Russian budget may face an even greater reduction in oil revenues in the second half of this year, the IEF wrote. The ruble is also under seasonal pressure, as exporters appear to have slowed their conversion of foreign currency earnings ahead of the Russia Day holiday weekend, Reuters reported. At the same time, Yevgeny Kogan, a Russian investment banker, said demand for foreign currency may have risen ahead of the long weekend. Adding to the pressure is a decline in oil revenues, which remain the backbone of Russia’s export economy. The average price of Urals crude fell to $52 per barrel in May compared to $66 in January, according to the Economic Development Ministry. That figure represents the lowest level in more than two years. Some analysts believe the ruble’s current weakness may be a harbinger of a more prolonged decline. Kogan predicted the currency could continue to weaken in June and July. Sofya Donets, chief economist at T-Investments,saidpressures could intensify into August, potentially pushing the exchange rate beyond 90 rubles to the dollar. The government-linked Center for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Term Forecastingwarnedthat the ruble could experience an “overshoot” in the opposite direction, reversing its earlier gains with a potentially steep depreciation. “The more overvalued the ruble is now,” the group said, “the more vulnerable it is to a sharp correction.”

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