Ukraine Strikes Russian Refinery in Ryazan After Ending Trump-Backed Energy Ceasefire
Ukraine Strikes Russian Refinery
Ukraine conducted a drone strike on a Rosneft-owned refinery in the Ryazan region southeast of Moscow. [1] The facility accounts for nearly 5% of Russia's refinery throughput. [1] Regional governor Pavel Malkov said a major Ukrainian drone attack had caused a fire at the refinery. [1] Russia's defence ministry and the governor confirmed the strike started a fire. [3] A senior Ukrainian official confirmed that Ukraine had hit the refinery. [3]
Zelenskiy Ends Energy Ceasefire
After President Trump's announcement that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to halt attacks on energy sites, Kyiv suspended attacks on Russian refineries. [1] In the days that followed, Russia carried out missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian energy targets such as power stations, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people. [1] Zelenskiy told the Financial Times that Ukraine's patience had run out after Russia continued those strikes. [1] He stated, "The block is out. We're done." [1] Zelenskiy said he felt betrayed by the US president and was outraged by Russia's continuing aerial bombardment of his country's energy infrastructure. [3] He told the Financial Times that Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries would resume. [3]
Trump Condemns Ukrainian Action
President Donald Trump called Ukraine's renewed strikes on Russian oil refineries a "disgrace." [2] Trump told Newsmax he is "not a big fan" of Zelenskiy and considers him more difficult to negotiate with than Russian President Vladimir Putin. [4] Although Trump described the ceasefire as a requirement for both Moscow and Kyiv, his public comments have focused mainly on Ukraine's attacks on Russian refineries. [1] Trump said over the weekend that those attacks "damn well better stop." [1]
Tensions Over Intelligence and Starlink
Ukrainian officials say that for several days they have not received the usual warnings from Western allies about incoming Russian missiles. [1] Zelenskiy asked the United States not to stand with Moscow and called for "honesty" after Kyiv said it had been betrayed by Washington's intelligence-sharing gaps. [2] In his comments to the Financial Times, Zelenskiy said he believed that changes in the capability of the military version of SpaceX's Starlink receptors this week, which curbed Ukraine's ability to pilot its drones, were a policy decision. [1] He stated, "It was not a technical problem, it was the will." [1] A source in Ukraine's defence ministry said the receptors were now working when in motion, but only at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. [1] Ukrainian officials say that is too slow for mid-range attack missions and interceptor drones that defend against Russian drones. [1] Elon Musk suggested that slowdowns in the Starlink system used for battlefield communications and frontline logistics were caused by Trump and the US military. [2] Musk wrote that Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government and any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately the president. [1] British Defence Minister Wes Streeting said he and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth welcomed the restoration of the Starlink service in Ukraine. [1]
Zelenskiy Seeks European Support
Zelenskiy traveled to Brussels for an EU summit and met with NATO chief Mark Rutte to rally support from European allies against Russia. [2] He also planned to meet French President Emmanuel Macron and the prime ministers of Poland, Denmark and Belgium. [3] In a series of meetings ahead of the gathering, Zelenskiy stressed the need to strengthen air defences. [1] Amid fears that the Trump administration may be withdrawing support for Ukraine, Zelenskiy went to Brussels for talks with EU leaders attending a two-day summit. [3]
Kremlin Reaction and Broader Context
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ukraine never stopped its strikes on refineries that have hurt Russia. [3] The Kremlin said Ukraine's targeting of Russian energy infrastructure ran counter to US peace efforts. [1] It said earlier this week that the scope of the energy ceasefire had never been determined and work was ongoing to do so. [1] In the Black Sea, rescuers searched for seven missing sailors after drones struck two chemical tankers near Romania's Black Sea coast. [1] Defence experts and a Reuters analysis of satellite imagery showed that Russia had nearly finished building a major base in southern Russia for launching jet-powered drones. [1]
What to watch next: Zelenskiy is due to attend the European Union summit on Friday while continuing meetings with NATO chief Mark Rutte and other European leaders to seek stronger air defences.
