Ukrainian forces resume strikes on Russian oil refineries
Ukrainian forces resumed strikes on Russian oil refineries on Thursday despite United States President Donald Trump demanding an energy cease-fire and the White House repeatedly urging Kyiv not to target Moscow’s energy infrastructure, foreignpolicy.com reported.
Russian Refineries Hit After Three-Day Truce Collapse
The resumption of hostilities comes just days after a brief three-day pause in refinery attacks agreed to by Kyiv. According to the BBC, the Kremlin stated that Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale attack early Thursday against a facility south of Moscow. Russia’s defense ministry reported that four missiles and dozens of drones were intercepted, with falling debris triggering a fire at an oil site in Ryazan.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the shift in stance during an interview with the Financial Times on Thursday. “The block on attacking refineries is out. We’re done,” Zelensky stated. He explained that the decision to abandon the pause followed a barrage of Russian ballistic missile strikes against critical Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Those Russian attacks left approximately 600,000 residents in Kyiv without power on Wednesday.
Zelensky on Trump and Putin:Putin is an enemy for us, and he's the real evil of today. Absolutely.How can Trump be friends with him?I think it's a mistake.It's his choice, again and again. pic.twitter.com/0Ko6bPg1rG
Diplomatic Pressure and Intelligence Threats from Washington
President Trump had pushed for the energy truce to curb rising fuel prices ahead of upcoming U.S. midterm elections. To incentivize compliance, Trump suspended U.S. sanctions on Russian diesel exports on Friday and subsequently declared the energy truce on Sunday, calling for Zelensky’s removal at the same time.
Zelensky cited several controversial actions from Washington as the catalyst for ending the freeze. Ukrainian officials were reportedly warned by U.S. counterparts that military intelligence-sharing would be cut off if Kyiv continued hitting Russian energy targets. Sudden restrictions on Ukraine's Starlink access—which owner Elon Musk attributed to the will of the Trump administration rather than a technical glitch—further strained relations.
Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. Usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities…
Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto cautioned against restricting intelligence access, telling the BBC that denying such vital support would be a complete mistake that strips a nation of its ability to defend itself.
European Allies Back Kyiv as Kremlin Rejects Truce Terms
While the White House sought to shield Moscow’s revenue streams, European leaders rallied behind Ukraine’s military strategy. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal voiced strong support for the renewed campaign against Russian energy assets, noting that undermining Russia’s ability to sell energy directly weakens its war funding.
Disputes remain over whether Moscow ever formally accepted the American-brokered truce. While Zelensky indicated he would abide by the agreement if Russia did the same, the Kremlin never officially confirmed its agreement to the deal before launching the missile barrage that knocked out power in Kyiv.
Nato chief Mark Rutte met with Zelensky in Brussels on Thursday as a two-day summit of European leaders commenced, discussing the implementation of energy cease-fire terms alongside sustained Allied support for Ukraine’s defenses.