Kyiv (TIP): Ukraine struck a Russian oil refinery on Thursday, Oct 15, after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv would no longer hold back its attacks on Russian energy facilities, signalling the collapse of a ceasefire initiative announced by US President Donald Trump.
The Ukrainian strike on the refinery in Russia’s Ryazan region came as Zelenskyy criticised Trump’s approach to Moscow, raising the risk of further friction between Kyiv and Washington. Ukraine has relied heavily on American military assistance and technology in its fight against Russia’s invasion, which began in February 2022.
In an interview with the Financial Times published on Thursday, Zelenskyy made clear that Ukraine would resume targeting Russian refineries after pausing such attacks following Trump’s announcement of an energy truce.
“The block (on attacking refineries) is out. We’re done,” he told the newspaper.
The facility hit in Ryazan, southeast of Moscow, is owned by state-run oil company Rosneft and accounts for nearly 5 per cent of Russia’s refining capacity. It also helps supply fuel to the Russian capital.
Regional governor Pavel Malkov said a major Ukrainian drone attack had caused a fire at the refinery.
Trump announced on Sunday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop attacking energy infrastructure. Kyiv subsequently suspended strikes on Russian refineries, which Trump has blamed for pushing up global diesel prices. However, Russia continued launching missile and drone attacks in the following days, including against energy infrastructure and power stations. The strikes left hundreds of thousands of people without electricity.
Zelenskyy had previously said Ukraine fully supported the proposed ceasefire despite the continuing Russian attacks. His latest remarks suggest Kyiv will no longer maintain its restraint while Moscow continues striking Ukrainian targets.
Russian President Vladimir Putin played down the impact of Ukraine’s long-range attacks on Russian refineries, saying they had caused “nothing particularly significant”.
The Kremlin, meanwhile, said Ukraine’s attacks on Russian energy infrastructure ran counter to US efforts to secure peace. It had also maintained that the scope of the proposed energy truce had not been clearly defined and that discussions were continuing.
The Ukrainian president also criticised what he saw as Trump’s willingness to strike deals with Russia, his apparent admiration for Putin and his respect for leaders who remain in power for decades.
“He (Trump) speaks about it openly and loudly that he loves such people and he respects such people,” the Financial Times quoted Zelenskyy as saying. “Because for him people who can be leaders 20 years, 30 years, 40 years, it means they can be very strong.”
Relations between Zelenskyy and Trump have been strained, particularly after their February 2025 Oval Office meeting descended into a public confrontation. Zelenskyy later sought to emphasise his support for Trump and US assistance to Ukraine, including backing the proposed energy ceasefire despite successive Russian attacks.
The latest disagreement comes as Trump faces pressure to lower fuel prices ahead of US midterm elections. Diesel prices have reached record highs since the US president launched a war against Iran in February, although Trump has blamed Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries for contributing to higher global prices.
ZelenskYY also told the Financial Times that recent changes affecting military versions of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet terminals, which disrupted Ukraine’s ability to operate drones, reflected a policy decision rather than a technical problem.
“It was not a technical problem, it was the will,” he said.
SpaceX chief Elon Musk said in a social media post that the military version of the system, known as Starshield, was owned and controlled by the US government. He said any restrictions on speed or usage were decided by the US military and ultimately the US president.
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