Thursday morning for Moscow no be like normal morning. For south-east of the city, one oil refinery wey dey supply plenty fuel for capital don get hit during Ukrainian drone attack. From far, the sight dey surreal: thick smoke dey billow from the facility, turn sky dark like giant black shroud dey hang over Moscow skyline.
But the way people react to this thing be something else. Near the refinery, one fisherman just dey sit by pond, dey look water and dey continue to fish as if nothing happen. For playground opposite, children dey play for swing. Shoppers dey go and come from supermarket. Everything just dey look like any other Thursday.
I come realize say my sense of wetin be normal for Moscow need update. For long time, war for Ukraine feel very far from people for Russian capital. Many pretend say e no dey happen at all. But now as front line dey creep closer to city, e don harder to ignore. Over past year and half, Muscovites don wake up to news say army generals don assassinate, and drones dey target capital. For some sense, abnormal don become new normal.
Thursday attack be one of the largest aerial assaults on Moscow region since Russia full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Apart from damage to oil refinery, shopping centres and residential buildings also take hit. According to governor of Moscow region, one eight-year-old girl die for fire wey one of the drone strikes cause.
Slava, wey live for apartment block opposite refinery, talk say: “I no too surprised by wetin happen, but I no expect such big attack. I hear explosion and see plenty smoke. Na the kind thing wey you normally see for movie. I see am from my apartment window.”
But another resident, Nadezhda, see nothing normal for wetin dey happen. She talk: “E take us four years to win World War Two, even though our soldiers get little food and water. Today we get all resources we need. But this war dey continue. I dey shocked.”
How Russian authorities dey respond to people like Nadezhda? Officials regularly accuse West say dem dey prolong war for Ukraine, blaming European leaders and Nato for supporting Kyiv. But on Thursday, President Vladimir Putin no talk anything about the drone assault. News bulletins for Russian TV channels barely mention am. When Russian newspapers report story the following day, I detect common thread for their coverage: maybe a coordinated message for domestic audience. E fit be summed up as: “However bad e be for us, Ukraine dey suffer more.”
Ultra-pro-Kremlin Komsomolskaya Pravda declare: “Our attacks dey do far more damage to Ukraine than Ukraine dey do to us.” Tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets write: “Our strikes to demilitarise Ukraine dey far more powerful and effective than Ukrainian attacks.” Government paper Rossiyskaya Gazeta almost get identical narrative: “Our attacks on defence enterprises wey dey work for Ukrainian army dey much more powerful than those wey Russians, unfortunately, dey deal with.” Business daily Kommersant comment: “Our strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure wey link to military-industrial complex dey far more effective and produce more results.”
When Kremlin finally react, dem get similar message. Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov tell reporters: “You suppose look for more footage wey dey come out of various cities for Ukraine. Footage wey show results of strikes wey our armed forces carry out dey impressive. These strikes go continue.”
No sign say Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian cities give Putin pause for thought. From recent speeches and statements, Kremlin leader seem determine to continue Russia assault on Ukraine, confident say for this war of attrition, e country go prevail. But there be signs say long-range Ukrainian strikes – particularly on Russian oil facilities – dey increase pressure on Russian economy. Petrol shortages and rationing don report for some parts of country, and prices dey rise for pumps.
For wetin don become new normal, Moscow dey expect more drone strikes. Moskovsky Komsomolets predict: “The Ukrainian attack on Moscow region on 18 June no go be last attack, or even one of the last.” One woman tell me last Thursday as she look up at clouds of smoke: “There nothing we fit do about this. Na our government must decide wetin to do. All we fit do na watch.”
