Ukraine was asked to avoid strikes on Russian oil amid Middle East crisis, Zelenskyy says
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (Getty Images)
Ukraine continues to strike Russian energy facilities despite calls from international partners to limit such attacks due to the situation on global markets, stated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his interview with Newsmax.
Ukraine’s position on strikes against Russia
According to him, partners had asked Ukraine to refrain from attacking Russia’s energy infrastructure. They justified these requests by pointing to global energy challenges caused by instability in the Middle East.
However, Zelenskyy rejected these appeals, noting that Russia continues to attack Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure daily.
Prospects for an energy ceasefire
The President said Ukraine is theoretically ready to consider halting mutual strikes on energy infrastructure, but no official proposals have been made so far.
"Nobody proposed an energy ceasefire to us. We are open for this, but if Russia will attack us, we will respond in any way," Zelenskyy stressed in the interview.
Ukraine’s "long-range sanctions"
President Zelenskyy recently revealed the heavy losses suffered by Russia’s oil ports as a result of Ukraine’s "long-range sanctions." In particular, Ukrainian operations are significantly reducing the enemy’s oil exports.
In addition, on April 28, Ukraine’s Defense Forces carried out a triple strike on a key Russian oil refinery in Tuapse. A massive fire at the oil terminal forced local authorities to begin evacuating residents.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has increased the range of its strikes on Russia by 170%. A record achievement was the strike on the Ukhta refinery in 2026, highlighting the growing capabilities of Ukrainian drones.
