Zelensky Resumes Ukrainian Strikes on Russian Oil Refineries After Russian Attacks Continue
Zelensky Ends Pause on Refinery Strikes
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine will resume strikes on Russian oil refineries after restricting such attacks for three days at Washington's request. [1] He stated that Russia had continued striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure during that period. [2] "The block (on attacking refineries) is out. We’re done," Zelensky told the Financial Times. [2] Zelensky said he had restricted the strikes while Russia kept up its attacks on Ukrainian energy sites. [1]
US-Proposed Energy Ceasefire Collapses
U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally announced an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine on Oct. 11. [2] A senior Ukrainian official said Ukraine had no prior information about the proposed ceasefire. [2] Zelensky had previously said he would agree to the energy ceasefire if Moscow also abided by it. [1] Russia ignored the proposed deal within hours of the announcement. [1] On Oct. 14 the Kremlin stated that the extent of the proposed energy ceasefire was not specified. [2] Zelensky accused Russia of ignoring the proposed deal, with strikes leaving hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians without power. [1]
Russian Attacks on Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure
Russia launched a large-scale ballistic missile attack on Kyiv overnight on Oct. 13-14. [2] The assault targeted energy facilities in Kyiv, Kyiv Oblast and Kharkiv. [2] "Overnight, the Russians deployed 39 ballistic missiles and more than 120 strike drones and loitering munitions against our energy and critical infrastructure in Kyiv, Kyiv Oblast, and Kharkiv," Zelensky said. [2] All three of Kyiv's combined heat and power stations were attacked, along with critical infrastructure in Kyiv Oblast. [2] The strikes left 600,000 people without power. [2] A Russian drone struck a Naftogaz gas production facility in Poltava Oblast on the night of 14-15 October. [4] The attack caused a fire and rendered processing equipment inoperable. [4] No personnel were injured because employees were in a shelter. [4]
Accusations of US Pressure and Reduced Support
Zelensky accused the US of withdrawing intelligence-sharing on Russian strikes to pressure Kyiv into ending the refinery attacks. [1] Ukrainian officials were told by US counterparts that "if you will not stop [the strikes], we will block intelligence". [1] He said a slowdown of Starlink satellite services used by Ukraine's military was deliberate rather than a technical fault. [1] "It was not a technical problem, it was the will," Zelensky told the Financial Times. [1] Elon Musk wrote that the systems were owned and controlled by the US government and that any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military. [1] The Trump administration has not commented on the issue. [1]
Conditions for Halting Ukrainian Strikes
Zelensky said Ukraine could only agree to halt strikes on Russia's energy infrastructure if it received more U.S.-made Patriot interceptor missiles. [2] He called additional Patriot missiles the "minimum" requirement. [2] Ukraine has suffered a shortage of the US-made defences since the outbreak of the Iran war consumed stockpiles. [1] Zelensky warned that ceasing strikes on Russian energy might encourage further deals between Washington and Moscow that would benefit Putin's war machine. [2] He criticised the agreement between Russia and the US to release 300,000 tonnes of diesel to the US and global marketplace. [1] "The question will be when will the next deal be? Maybe it will be gas. Definitely it will be gas," Zelensky told the Financial Times. [1]
Tensions in US-Ukraine Relations
Zelensky said he felt betrayed by the US when asked by Piers Morgan. [1] He told the Financial Times that his American counterpart had an affinity for autocratic leaders like Russia's Vladimir Putin. [1] Zelensky said it was not up to him to mend US-Ukrainian relations given the events of the past week. [1] "We didn't destroy any relationship," he stated. [1] Tensions have previously frayed between the two leaders after a fiery Oval Office meeting in which Trump implied Zelensky was the main block to a peace deal. [1]
What to watch next: Further US-Russia energy deals on items such as gas, and whether additional Patriot missiles are supplied to Ukraine.
