'We've had enough': Zelenskyy says Ukraine will resume strikes on Russian oil refineries
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Ukraine is resuming strikes on Russian oil refineries. The ban on such attacks has been lifted amid problems with intelligence sharing and Starlink disruptions during massive Russian attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the Financial Times.
The ban on strikes against oil refineries has been lifted. We’ve had enough, Zelenskyy said.
According to him, Ukraine refrained from striking Russia’s energy sector for three days to comply with Washington’s wishes. Meanwhile, Russia continued attacking Ukrainian energy facilities and killed more than 100 civilians over the past week.
Despite the pause, Ukrainian troops were left without US warnings about ballistic missile launches. Starlink began operating more slowly across the country, complicating operations on the front line and medium-range strikes against Russian military targets.
According to Zelenskyy, American counterparts directly warned the Ukrainian military that if strikes on the energy sector did not stop, intelligence sharing would be blocked. Kyiv was later told that this was a technical malfunction.
This was not a technical problem, it was a matter of will, the president said of the Starlink disruptions.
The condition for a pause: Patriot missiles
Zelenskyy said he could imagine Ukraine refraining from striking Russia’s energy sector even if Russia continued its attacks. But only in exchange for additional Patriot missiles, which he said was the bare minimum.
The president said that in response to Ukraine’s request for stronger air defenses, the US restricted Starlink’s operation.
According to the FT, the current crisis in relations between Kyiv and Washington is the most serious since February 2025, when Trump and his team publicly reprimanded Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.
The main cause of tensions has been strikes on Russian oil refineries. Trump links these strikes to the rise in diesel fuel prices worldwide. At the same time, the US Treasury Department opened the market to Russian diesel fuel, while Ukraine called the deal unfair.
On the night of October 14, Starshield terminals on Ukrainian drones began maintaining connectivity only up to speeds of 160 km/h. On the same day, Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, and Zelenskyy called it an unprecedented show of disrespect by Moscow toward the US.
