Zelenskyy sets condition for halting strikes on Russian oil refineries
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (facebook.com/zelenskyy.official)
Ukraine is ready to suspend strikes on Russian oil refineries, but there is one condition, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview with Fox News.
Zelenskyy said that he had held "several different conversations" on the issue with US President Donald Trump and his aides. Washington is asking Kyiv to stop such attacks.
"We said that we cannot refrain from responding to Russian attacks on our energy, after Russia is killing our people, attacks on our electricity, gas, refineries – on everything," he said.
According to the president, Ukraine is ready to stop the attacks if Russia also halts its strikes on Ukraine’s energy system.
"Another alternative: give us Patriot missiles. We will find the money – not just aid... And we will pay (for them)," Zelenskyy said.
He stressed that Ukraine would stop the attacks only for as long as it was supplied with the missiles.
"If you need us not to attack their (Russian) refineries for one month, (then) give us Patriots for one month," the president noted.
Strikes on Russian oil refineries
Ukraine refrained from striking Russian oil refineries for two weeks at the request of the US presidential administration. However, Russia did not stop its attacks on civilian infrastructure.
On Friday, the Armed Forces of Ukraine resumed the strikes. Over three days, they hit three oil refineries, putting about 10% of Russia’s oil refining capacity out of operation.
The facilities were the Kstovo, Novokuybyshevsk, and Bashneft-Novoil refineries. Their combined annual capacity is around 33 million tonnes of oil.
In October, the Samara oil hub in Russia caught fire again following an attack. The facility had already been struck on October 2. At the time, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed damage to eleven RVS-20000 storage tanks and three RVSPK-50000 tanks.
As RBC-Ukraine reported, drones attacked Russia’s Samara region again on the morning of November 2.
The likely target was the Samara linear production dispatch station in the town of Prosvet. A fire broke out near the facility following the attack.
