Ukraine said on Tuesday it hit one of Russia’s largest satellite communication centers for the second time in just over a week, as Kyiv ramps up long-range drone attacks to pressure the Kremlin to end its four-year-old war.

Motherships are helping Ukraine send small drones farther into battle and strike from less predictable directions.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine will ramp up attacks on Russia in an operation "aimed at compelling it to end the war."

Ukraine has launched the largest drone offensive on Moscow of the full-scale war, in an attack that damaged a key oil refinery, caused fires, and sent debris raining down across the region.

By Max Hunder and Jekaterina Golubkova June 18 (Reuters) - Ukraine launched a major drone attack on Moscow on Thursday, hitting the Russian capital's oil refinery for the second time this week in what Kyiv cast as a response to an attack that damaged a nearly 1,

The Russian Defense Ministry said that it launched a "massive strike using long-range precision air, land, and sea-based weapons and attack drones."

Waves of Ukrainian drones hit a major oil refinery for the second time this week, disrupting flights and sending thick clouds of black smoke rising over the city Thursday morning.

All the ballistic missiles launched by Russia struck their targets, underscoring Kyiv's need for more U.S. Patriot interceptor missiles, Ukraine officials say.

Russia launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine's capital overnight into Thursday, with ballistic and cruise missiles and drones, killing several people.