Unfolding Events in Moscow
There are moments when life in Moscow appears entirely normal. However, Thursday morning was not one of those times.
In the south-east of the city, an oil refinery was struck during a Ukrainian drone attack. Even from a distance, the scene was surreal.
Thick smoke rising from the facility darkened the sky. Like a vast black shroud, it loomed over the Moscow skyline.
Despite the extraordinary and striking nature of the event, the reaction of people near the refinery was notable.
Paying little attention to the massive smoke clouds, an angler sat beside a pond, gazing across the water as he continued fishing.
At the playground opposite, children played on swings.
Shoppers moved to and from a supermarket, as if it were just another Thursday.
It became clear that my perception of what is normal in Moscow required adjustment.
The War Approaches Moscow
For a long time, the war in Ukraine felt distant to residents of the Russian capital. Many chose to ignore it, but this has become increasingly difficult as the front line approaches the city.
Over the past eighteen months, Muscovites have awoken to news of assassinations of army generals in Moscow and drone attacks targeting the capital.
In many ways, abnormal has become the new normal.
Details of the Attack
Thursday's assault was among the largest aerial attacks on the Moscow region since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In addition to damage to the oil refinery, shopping centres and residential buildings were also struck. According to the governor of the Moscow region, an eight-year-old girl died in a fire caused by one of the drone strikes.
"I'm not totally surprised by what happened," says Slava, who lives in an apartment block opposite the oil refinery. "But I didn't expect such a big attack."
"I heard explosions and saw lots of smoke. It's the kind of thing you normally see in the movies. I saw it from my apartment window."
Another local resident, Nadezhda, expressed a different perspective.
"It took us four years to win World War Two, even though our soldiers had little food and water," she told me.
"Today we have all the resources we need. But this war goes on. I'm shocked."
Official Responses and Media Coverage
How do Russian authorities address citizens like Nadezhda, who struggle to comprehend why the Kremlin's so-called "special military operation" is prolonged and how the war has reached their city?
Russian officials frequently accuse the West of extending the conflict in Ukraine, blaming European leaders and NATO for supporting Kyiv.
However, on Thursday, President Vladimir Putin made no mention of the drone assault. Russian TV news bulletins scarcely covered the event.
When Russian newspapers reported the story the next day, a common theme emerged in their coverage, likely aimed at the domestic audience.
The message can be summarized as: "Despite our difficulties, Ukraine is suffering more."
"Our attacks are doing far more damage to Ukraine than Ukraine is doing to us," declared the ultra-pro-Kremlin Komsomolskaya Pravda.
"Our strikes to demilitarise Ukraine are far more powerful and effective than Ukrainian attacks," wrote the tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets.
The narrative was echoed in the government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta: "Our attacks on defence enterprises working for the Ukrainian army are much more powerful than those which Russians, unfortunately, are having to deal with."
"Our strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure linked to the military-industrial complex are far more effective and produce more results," commented business daily Kommersant.
When the Kremlin eventually responded, the message was consistent.
"You should look for more footage coming out of various cities in Ukraine," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"Footage showing the results of strikes carried out by our armed forces is impressive. These strikes will continue."
Continuing Conflict and Economic Impact
There is no indication that Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian cities have caused Putin to reconsider. Based on his recent speeches and statements, the Kremlin leader appears resolved to continue Russia's offensive against Ukraine, confident that his country will prevail in this war of attrition.
However, there are signs that long-range Ukrainian strikes, especially on Russian oil facilities, are increasing pressure on the Russian economy. Petrol shortages and rationing have been reported in some regions, and fuel prices have risen.
The New Normal in Moscow
In what has become the new normal, Moscow anticipates further drone strikes.
"The Ukrainian attack on the Moscow region on 18 June won't be the last attack, or even one of the last," predicted Moskovsky Komsomolets.
"There's nothing we can do about this," one woman told me last Thursday as she gazed at the smoke clouds.
"It's our government that must decide what to do. All we can do is watch."
