“If Ukraine burns, your Moscow is going to burn.” These were the defiant words of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following a drone strike on Moscow that hit a major oil refinery and brought air traffic to a standstill.
The Russian Foreign Minister has announced a harsh retaliation. The attack against the Monastery of the Caves, the cathedral, and other historic churches in Kyiv has served as a trigger showing that anything goes; Moscow’s targeting of civilian sites and war crimes have become a daily occurrence.
An unprecedented strike in Russian airspace
Ukraine’s capacity to strike inside Russia, specifically Moscow, has been widely discussed. This is a significant blow. Zelenskyy’s warning comes after Moscow targeted the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves) alongside other sites of immense historical value and civilian infrastructure. What is the real scope of this offensive?
Ukraine is demonstrating a formidable capacity to inflict damage within Moscow. Yesterday’s operation was the largest drone assault on the Russian capital since the outbreak of the war. For weeks, we have observed mounting pressure—with Russian strikes hitting high-value civilian targets in Ukraine—coinciding with an upgrade in Ukraine’s capabilities to launch medium- and long-range attacks.
Yesterday’s raid surpassed expectations of what could be anticipated. Images of drones coming down on the outskirts of the Russian capital left no one indifferent; the black smoke billowing between buildings caused genuine shock. Ukraine achieved this by mimicking Russian tactics, deploying a massive swarm of airborne objects to overwhelm air defence systems.
According to the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, they managed to intercept a thousand drones and four Ukrainian cruise missiles within 24 hours, yet those that breached defences left striking images.
One particular phrase is making headlines worldwide, featured across every major newspaper: the Ukrainian President asserted that these are the “long-range sanctions” Ukraine is imposing on Russia and that if Ukraine burns, Moscow will burn. It is a severe blow to the Kremlin, ushering this war into a brand-new phase.
Smoke rises from an oil refinery following an attack by Ukrainian drones as part of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, in Moscow, Russia, on 18 June 2026, in this image taken from social media – PHOTO/ SOCIAL MEDIA via REUTERS
International summits: Brussels dampens Kyiv’s fast-track hopes
Zelenskyy participated in international summits this week, including the G7 and the European Council. Were the outcomes positive, negative, or mixed?
Mixed to poor, particularly regarding the meeting in Brussels. Confronted with the proposal to activate a fast-track accession mechanism for Ukraine, European leaders opted this time for a merit-based approach, conditioning Ukraine’s inclusion in the European Union on specific criteria.
This dampens any prospects of an express membership process by this summer, despite initial backing from the majority of member states and Ursula von der Leyen.
What did pass in Brussels was a renewed text of support for Ukraine and a firm condemnation of Russia’s escalating attacks on civilian targets. The resolution calls for a new package of sanctions against Putin and stresses the vital importance of coordination between Europe and the United States in supporting the invaded nation.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and the Ukrainian Prime Minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, visit the Cathedral of the Dormition at the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, which was damaged during Russian missile and drone attacks as part of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on 15 June 2026. Press Office of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Image courtesy of REUTERS
From survival to military self-reliance
Reports emerged this week that Ukraine will even manufacture missiles for the West. Does this alter the conflict’s equation?
As reported by the French newspaper Le Parisien, Ukraine is set to manufacture long-range missiles and air defence systems under Western licences, following an agreement signed precisely within the framework of the G7 summit.
According to the French daily, US defence firms will transfer production licences to European and Ukrainian manufacturers, allowing advanced weaponry to be produced directly on Ukrainian soil. This is not merely an arms supply agreement, but the restructuring of a long-term defence industry capable of sustaining the war effort.
It is astonishing how much Ukraine has evolved over these nearly four and a half years; it has transitioned from relying entirely on international arms shipments to survive the initial years of the war, to becoming a manufacturer of these weapons. Necessity breeds invention.