Zelensky announces resumption of Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil facilities
Agencies2 min read
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that his country will resume its strikes on Russian oil refineries, following a pause that lasted several days after US President Donald Trump announced a truce in attacks on energy facilities.
In an interview published by the Financial Times on Thursday, Zelensky said that the ban on targeting refineries has been lifted, adding that he would not agree to stop the strikes unless the United States provides Ukraine with Patriot interceptor missiles, in light of Kyiv's shortage of air defense systems.
Neither Moscow nor Kyiv confirmed that negotiations regarding the announced truce had taken place, while Russian forces continued to target power plants in Ukraine over the past few days. On Wednesday, Russia accused Kyiv of attacking two oil refineries, which Ukraine denied.
Kyiv says it is targeting Russian oil facilities with the aim of reducing the financial resources that Moscow uses to continue the war that has been ongoing since 2022.
Trump had repeatedly criticized Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries and oil depots, considering that they contribute to a global fuel shortage and rising prices. A US agreement regarding Russian diesel supplies also sparked criticism from Zelensky, amid escalating tension between the two presidents.
In a related context, Ukraine expressed concern on Wednesday regarding the slowdown in connectivity to the Starlink satellite network, which its army uses, and said it had not received prior warnings about Russian attacks that were being prepared over two consecutive nights.
According to Kyiv, Washington warned Ukrainian officials that it might stop sharing intelligence if Ukraine did not stop targeting Russian oil refineries.
