Ukraine to restart refinery attacks after US energy truce ends

Background of the energy ceasefire In late October, President Donald Trump announced a unilateral “energy ceasefire” aimed at limiting attacks on oil refineries in both countries. The agreement was never formally confirmed by either Moscow or Kyiv, but it prompted a temporary halt in Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries.

Ukrainian response President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine had paused its attacks for three days while Russia continued to target Ukrainian energy infrastructure. He stated that the pause was over and that Kyiv would resume strikes on Russian refineries. According to BBC News, Zelensky told the Financial Times that the block on refinery attacks was lifted and that the government was “done” with the ceasefire.

Russian accusations On Thursday, the Kremlin claimed that Ukraine had launched a strike on a refinery in the Ryazan region, south of Moscow. Russia’s defence ministry reported that four missiles and dozens of drones were intercepted, and that falling debris caused a fire at the site. The Russian statement was echoed by Al Jazeera, which reported that Moscow accused Kyiv of a large‑scale attack.

US‑Ukraine relations Zelensky has accused Washington of withdrawing key intelligence‑sharing and restricting access to satellite services such as Starlink. He said that the United States had threatened to block intelligence if Ukraine did not stop its strikes, a claim that was echoed in a BBC interview. The Ukrainian president also criticised the US for a diesel deal with Moscow that he said undermined the ceasefire.

Impact on Ukraine’s infrastructure The Guardian reported that Moscow had launched a record swarm of drones overnight to attack Ukrainian infrastructure in central Ukraine. The attacks have left hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians without power and have intensified the debate over the effectiveness of the ceasefire.

International reaction The collapse of the ceasefire has drawn criticism from both sides. Trump warned that Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries were contributing to a global rise in diesel prices, while Russian officials reiterated that Kyiv had violated the agreement. Ukraine, meanwhile, has stated that it will continue to target Russian energy sites until Moscow complies with the ceasefire terms.

Current status As of mid‑October, Ukraine is poised to resume attacks on Russian oil refineries, and Russia maintains that Kyiv has already struck a refinery in Ryazan. The situation remains fluid, with both sides accusing each other of violating the ceasefire and escalating the conflict over energy infrastructure.