Zelensky Threatens More Strikes on Russian Oil Refineries
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has threatened that Kyiv will step up strikes on Russian oil refineries in response to Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. He described the refineries as a source of funding for Russia’s war.
In an interview with Reuters, Zelensky said Ukraine does not target civilian objects, but must respond to Russian attacks on the country’s energy sector. He said Moscow was trying to force residents of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities to leave their homes through air strikes.
The Ukrainian president also claimed that his country’s intelligence agencies had documents showing that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered broader attacks on civilian targets before winter arrived. Zelensky said Putin’s motive for this policy was to demonstrate power.
He also claimed that Ukrainian forces had recaptured around 140 square kilometres of territory in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine during Operation Vivaldi. Russia has said full control of this region is a precondition for any peace agreement.
US President Donald Trump last month called on Ukraine not to attack Russian oil facilities and warned that such strikes could drive up global diesel prices.
Kyiv was hit last week by a series of Russian drone and missile attacks targeting energy facilities, communications, and road and rail infrastructure. Russia also targeted, for the first time, a bridge over the Dnipro River linking the eastern and western parts of Kyiv.
