Moscow residents complain after Ukraine attacks oil refinery
Specks of black oil have rained down on part of Moscow after a refinery was hit during the largest Ukrainian attack since the start of the full-scale war, with close to 200 drones fired towards the Russian capital. Columns of thick smoke billowed high into the sky and 17 people were wounded in the Moscow … The post Moscow residents complain after Ukraine attacks oil refinery appeared first on Ghanaian Times.
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Specks of black oil have rained down on part of Moscow after a refinery was hit during the largest Ukrainian attack since the start of the full-scale war, with close to 200 drones fired towards the Russian capital.
Columns of thick smoke billowed high into the sky and 17 people were wounded in the Moscow region, according to local governor Andrei Vorobyov.
Residents in the south-east of Moscow region told the BBC that a fine drizzle had left “unpleasant black spots” on their clothes.
Moscow authorities, however, denied that any ‘oil rain’ had been falling.
Yet, the city’s official Telegram channel warned residents of the affected district to keep their windows closed and said families with children, elderly people and asthmatics should urgently leave the area.
Almost 1,000 drones and four Ukrainian cruise missiles were intercepted and destroyed across the country in 24 hours, Russia’s defence ministry was quoted as saying.
An oil depot was struck in the southern Rostov region, where one person was killed.
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky said the drone strike was an answer to last week’s Russian attack on Kyiv, which set ablaze a major religious landmark, the Pechersk Lavra monastery.
“We don’t want this war and have never wanted it,” Zelensky said. “But if Ukraine burns, your Moscow will burn too.”
In response, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said strikes on Ukraine would be delivered “on a mass scale”, adding he had been “convinced for a long time that words are not enough.”
Fires broke out as the Kapotnya refinery in south-east Moscow was hit for the third time in a month and the second time this week, colouring the sky black with smoke.
Several clips show the particularly dramatic moment the top of a large silo was blown off by a huge explosion, sending the roof of the oil storage tank flying dozens of metres into the air.
A nearby shopping centre also caught fire, reportedly after drone debris fell on the building.
Moscow’s four airports were temporarily shut and more than 500 flights were cancelled or delayed.
Although local authorities across Russia have banned publication of images of the aftermath of drone strikes, dozens of videos were posted on social media showing drones flying across the sky in broad daylight and explosions over industrial areas on the outskirts of Moscow. –BBC
France restricts alcohol consumption as Europe swelters under heatwave
A punishing heatwave sweeping across much of Europe prompted a partial alcohol ban in France, nationwide warnings in Germany and the closure of a soccer fan zone in Spain, as temperatures climbed towards record levels.
France was expecting 35 of its 96 departments or regions to declare red heatwave alerts yesterday with temperatures of 39 to 40 degrees Celsius (102-104 Fahrenheit) expected from the southwest through the Paris region into Burgundy, with some areas possibly reaching 41C.
After a crisis meeting, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu pre-emptively banned alcohol consumption at the annual Fete de la Musique festivals and other public events to be held in those 35 regions on Sunday.
Heat alerts were declared in most of Germany, with temperatures approaching 38C. The DWD weather service warned that a combination of heat and humidity could trigger severe thunderstorms.
Beyond the Alps, temperatures expected to reach 36–37C were transforming daily life and tourism in some Italian towns.
Visitors queued under a blazing sun outside the Colosseum as Rome’s summer heat turned sightseeing into a test of endurance. Some sought relief in the cooler underground spaces beneath the half-hidden remains of the Temple of Claudius.
In the northern city of Bologna, one of the hottest in the peninsula, people splashed water on their faces at the 16th-century Fountain of Neptune and sheltered in the shade of the porticoes.
But in Spain, the football federation decided to close the fan zone it has set up with giant screens in Madrid’s Plaza de Colon square, meaning fans will have to watch Spain’s World Cup match against Saudi Arabia yesterday, elsewhere.
Scientists say climate change is making heatwaves more frequent and intense across Europe, raising the risk of health emergencies and economic disruption during the summer months. –Reuters
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The post Moscow residents complain after Ukraine attacks oil refinery appeared first on Ghanaian Times.
