We all love us some video of things blowing up.
At least I do. I think all guys do, though, and boy, did Ukraine provide us with some spectacular explosions to view.
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) June 18, 2026
It's not often you get to see a massive lid of an oil storage tank thrown into the sky, looking like a massive UFO on its way to inform the homeworld that the Earth isn't ready for entry into the oh-so-peaceful Federation of Worlds. Stacey Abrams will have to wait to become the President of Earth.
Let's see that again, from a couple different angles...
The moment a storage tank at the Moscow oil refinery was hit: the blast blew the tank's lid off. https://t.co/ibupq8ofJc pic.twitter.com/cptsVVywYP
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) June 18, 2026
The aftermath of the strike on the oil refinery and other industrial sites in Moscow is a stark reminder that no place in Russia is safe from Ukrainian drones, even in the most heavily defended airspace in Europe.
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) June 18, 2026
These drones aren't exactly hypersonic stealth missiles that popped out of a DARPA lab. They fly low and slow, and Russia seems almost defenseless, unable to stop at least a few from getting through to cause horrendous damage to vital facilities.
These strikes aren't just pinpricks either in a tactical or strategic sense. Ukraine is hitting facilities vital to Moscow's war effort, and they are even more devastating on a strategic level, because Muscovites can't shrug them off: their skies are literally turning black and oil is raining from the sky, well after the fires are put out.
Moscow was covered by a black cloud following a huge fire at the oil refinery after the Ukrainian massive strikes.
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) June 18, 2026
In some parts of the city and suburbs, oil rains are being reported. pic.twitter.com/jqGNZBVFLx
That "Special Military Operation" doesn't look so special, and Putin doesn't look quite so much like a 17th-century Czar with unlimited power.
A Ukrainian kamikaze drone was intercepted by a Russian anti-aircraft missile when it was heading towards the Moscow oil refinery, but the falling debris caused a powerful explosion. pic.twitter.com/QV8h6UJm4B
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) June 18, 2026
Ukraine's strategy of sending hundreds of drones at once rather than sophisticated weapons designed to get through defenses is proving to be quite successful. Russia can take out any number of individual drones, but unless they stop all of them, the costs rack up and the damage is immense.
A Ukrainian kamikaze drone was intercepted by a Russian anti-aircraft missile when it was heading towards the Moscow oil refinery, but the falling debris caused a powerful explosion. pic.twitter.com/QV8h6UJm4B
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) June 18, 2026
There is what amounts to a near-stalemate on the tactical battlefield in Ukraine, with minimal gains made by either side. But the major front of the war is not focused there, although obvious any gains Ukraine makes are all to the good for them. And in terms of lives lost, Ukraine is more than holding its own.
What could be decisive in the war, though, is Russia's inability to supply Crimea with what it needs because it is under a tight but not complete siege, and Ukraine is imposing unsustainable costs on Russia within its own territory. Zelensky calls the strikes "sanctions," which is meant to show that he is not just hitting them where it hurts militarily, but eroding its economic base.
Last night, our long-range sanctions once again reached the Moscow region – for the second time this week, the Moscow oil refinery was hit. Targets were also struck in the Rostov region and in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. This is a fully justified response to… pic.twitter.com/NhFl4FlT9L
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 18, 2026
Last night, our long-range sanctions once again reached the Moscow region – for the second time this week, the Moscow oil refinery was hit. Targets were also struck in the Rostov region and in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. This is a fully justified response to Russian attacks on our cities and communities, and another important result of our warriors’ work against facilities that sustain Russia’s war machine. I thank our Defense and Security Forces of Ukraine for their coordinated efforts – the Security Service of Ukraine, the Unmanned Systems Forces, the Special Operations Forces, Defense Intelligence, and our missile brigade for their precision.
In recent days, all of our partners have noted the precision and effectiveness of our mid-range strikes and long-range sanctions. It is time the war ended, and Russia must take the necessary steps in diplomacy.
He is explicitly drawing a line between the tactical and strategic strikes, which is an interesting move, and putting them in the context of finding a negotiated solution, which I think is about right.
In other words, he is not framing things in terms of military defeat, but rather diplomacy, which is intended to give Putin some political cover, if that matters.
Head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia will carry out massive strikes on Ukraine on a "regular basis" in response to the Ukrainian attacks on Moscow. pic.twitter.com/AEFrYxGAZk
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) June 18, 2026
It seems that Ukraine's ability to disperse its military production capacity and have its supply lines originating in NATO countries gives it a massive military advantage. Russia's responses are against civilian, not military, targets. Basically using a "bomb the city to force surrender" strategy, which doesn't work.
Oil rains down on Moscow streets and cars after Ukrainian drones strike local refinery. pic.twitter.com/U0ZRhvUXq8
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) June 18, 2026
It is simply impossible to put a happy face on this turn of events for Moscow. Strikes on civilian infrastructure as punishment for systematically destroying Russia's military and industrial production are obviously not a recipe for a win, and, importantly, it undermines Moscow's claim to superpower status even more.
Zelensky stated that Ukraine will not sit quietly if Russia refuses to end the war
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) June 18, 2026
"We do not want this war and never wanted it, and everyone knows that. We certainly do not want Ukraine to burn because of the enemy. But if Ukraine is burning, your Moscow will burn as well." pic.twitter.com/NDIN1MPtBA
Zelensky's pitch for "diplomacy" over war is very effective, as is his positioning Ukraine's capabilities on par with, or superior to, Russia's. He is leaving Putin an out, if a somewhat humiliating one, while showing everyone that the alternative is very bad for Russia.
Ukrainian defense manufacturer Fire Point’s booth at the Eurosatory defense tradeshow today, playing footage of their drones hitting the Moscow Oil Refinery just hours prior. pic.twitter.com/PjOZ5ROfW9
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 18, 2026
Ukraine is also positioning itself as a vital arms supplier to the West, which greatly strengthens its political standing. It is no longer asking for charity, but proving that it has capabilities everybody else needs. It was never clear that Ukraine was vital to American strategic interests on a purely rational basis.
Now it can make the case credibly.
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