Russia accuses Washington of encouraging Ukraine in its drone attacks

Washington is encouraging Kyiv by publicly ignoring the drone attack that struck several districts of Moscow on Tuesday (30 May), Russia’s envoy to the United States said on Wednesday, after President Vladimir Putin blamed Ukraine for the strikes.

The White House said it did not support attacks inside of Russia and that it was still gathering information on the incident, which Putin called an attempt to scare and provoke Moscow.

“What are these attempts to hide behind the phrase that they are ‘gathering information’?” Anatoly Antonov, the ambassador, said in remarks published on the Telegram messaging channel.

“This is an encouragement for Ukrainian terrorists.”

Putin on Tuesday cast the assault, which brought the 15-month war in Ukraine to the heart of Russia, as a terrorist act. Ukraine also accuses Russia of terrorism for its bombing of Ukrainian civilians, allegations Moscow denies.

Ukraine war comes to Moscow as both capitals hit by drones

Ukrainian drones struck Moscow on 30 May but were neutralised, Russia said in what was called the worst attack on the capital since World War Two, while Kyiv was also hit by air for the third time in 24 hours.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a Ukrainian presidential aide, denied Kyiv was directly involved but said “we are pleased to watch events” and forecast more such strikes.

The attack on Moscow, which injured two, came after Russia launched three air assaults within a day on Kyiv and 17 in May so far, killing two this month, sowing destruction and fear.

The United States is still gathering information on reports of drones striking in Moscow, the White House said on Tuesday, reiterating that Washington does not support attacks inside Russia and is focused on helping Ukraine retake its territory.

“We saw the news and are still gathering information about what happened. As general matter, we do not support attacks inside of Russia,” a White House spokesperson said in a statement.

The spokesperson said Washington was “focused on providing Ukraine with the equipment and training they need to retake their own sovereign territory”.

Bloggers consider that for attacks inside Russia forces in Kyiv uses Ukrainian-made drones. Such drones reportedly have a range of 800 to 1,000 km and can carry a maximum of 20 kg of explosives.

Ukrainian attack on Russian refinery

A Ukrainian drone sparked a fire at an oil refinery in southern Russia and shelling hit a Russian town close to the border for the third time in a week, damaging buildings and setting vehicles ablaze, Russian officials said on Wednesday.

The governor of Russia’s Krasnodar region said a drone was the likely cause of a fire that broke out at the Afipsky oil refinery.

The fire was soon extinguished and there were no casualties, Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said on the Telegram messaging app. The Afipsky refinery is not far from the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, near another refinery that has been attacked several times this month.