Ukraine carried out what officials described as its largest drone attack in years on Moscow early Thursday, igniting fires across the capital and prompting evacuations at Sheremetyevo, Russia’s busiest airport. The assault occurred just hours before President Vladimir Putin was set to host Southeast Asian leaders in Kazan, about 700 kilometers from Moscow. Unverified videos on social media showed thick black smoke rising over the city, and reports indicated drones struck a refinery and residential areas.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defenses intercepted a large number of drones, though some reached the Moscow Oil Refinery. Russian media reported fires at the site, while regional authorities confirmed additional damage in the Zhukovsky district and near a shopping center. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have intercepted over 500 drones overnight, calling it the most extensive attack on Moscow in at least two years.

The strike comes amid stalled diplomatic efforts to end the four-year war and as Kyiv intensifies attacks inside Russia, particularly targeting facilities funding Moscow’s war effort.