Zelensky to Resume Strikes on Russian Refineries as Energy Truce Collapses

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his country will resume strikes on Russian oil refineries after a brief pause in attacks on energy infrastructure collapsed amid continued Russian bombardment.

Ukraine struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Ryazan region on Thursday, October 15, following Zelensky’s declaration that Kyiv would no longer suspend attacks on Russian refining facilities.

According to Reuters and the Associated Press, the strike triggered a fire at the refinery, located about 300 kilometres southeast of Moscow. Russian regional governor Pavel Malkov said emergency services were responding to the incident and assessing the damage.

The attack followed growing frustration in Kyiv over what Ukraine described as Russia’s failure to respect an energy ceasefire announced by United States President Donald Trump over the weekend.

The proposed arrangement was intended to halt attacks on energy infrastructure in both countries. Ukraine initially refrained from targeting Russian refineries, but Zelensky accused Moscow of continuing attacks on Ukrainian power facilities and other energy infrastructure.

In an interview with the Financial Times published on Thursday, Zelensky said Ukraine’s restraint could not continue indefinitely.

“The block is out. We’re done,” he said, referring to the suspension of attacks on Russian refineries.

The Ukrainian president also expressed anger over reported restrictions on US intelligence sharing and military communications support, which he said had weakened Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russian attacks.

Tensions have also increased following Trump’s criticism of Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure and a reported agreement involving Russian diesel supplies to the United States.

Trump has argued that attacks on Russian refineries contribute to rising fuel prices, while Kyiv maintains that Moscow must stop attacking Ukrainian energy facilities if it expects Ukraine to suspend retaliatory operations.

Russia has not publicly accepted responsibility for violating the proposed energy truce, and the arrangement’s terms remain disputed.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials reported another large wave of Russian drone attacks overnight, with strikes affecting several regions. Ukraine said its air defences intercepted hundreds of drones, although some reached their targets.

The collapse of the energy truce raises fresh concerns about the protection of power supplies and fuel infrastructure as winter approaches. It also threatens to deepen tensions between Kyiv and Washington at a time when Ukraine is seeking continued military and diplomatic support from its Western partners.