< anchor>

Yesterday (30th), Moscow, the capital of Russia, was hit by a drone strike, and today, an oil refinery bordering Ukraine was attacked. Russia has singled out Ukraine as the culprit behind the attack and warned that there will be a corresponding response.

The Paris Prize is a correspondent's report.

<Reporter>
An oil refinery in Krasnodar Oblast in
southwestern Russia is on fire.

Two buildings of a heavy oil transport facility were burned, and the cause of the fire was determined to be a drone attack.

Russia is pointing to Ukraine as the culprit behind the attack.

Another border province in western Belgorod province has also suffered casualties from shelling by Ukrainian forces for several days, Russian authorities said.

Yesterday there were also multiple simultaneous drone strikes targeting the Russian capital, Moscow.

In the wake of the attacks, in which Ukraine appears to be behind it, Russian President Putin has been furious and warned that there will be a corresponding response.

[Putin/Russian President: Threatening Russia and Russian citizens and attacking residential buildings is clear evidence of terrorist acts.]

If Ukraine is behind the recent series of attacks on the Russian mainland, foreign media are analyzing that it is likely to be a psychological warfare operation to provoke a backlash inside Russia as well as an operation to create conditions for a major counteroffensive.

Prigozhin, who heads the Wagner Group, a mercenary group close to Putin, was furious at the Russian military chief, saying, "Why are you letting drones hit Moscow?"

[James Nixey, Director of the Royal Institute of International Affairs: It doesn't cause much damage right away, but it shows that the Ukrainian army is capable of inflicting pain and blows on Russia, not just defending.]

If the ripple of psychological warfare grows, the public's support for President Putin may falter, and the power to wage war may be lost.

(Video Interview: Kim Si-si, Video Editing: Kim Byung-jik)