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Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Will Resume Drone Strikes on Russian Refineries
· Confirmed
In Short: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that Ukraine would resume drone strikes on Russian oil refineries, following Russia's continued attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure despite a pause in such operations by Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that Ukraine would resume drone strikes on Russian oil refineries, following Russia's continued attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure despite a pause in such operations by Ukraine.
According to Newsday, Zelenskyy said, “We will resume our strikes on Russian oil refineries. Russia has not ceased its attacks on our energy infrastructure, and we cannot allow this to continue.” Transylvaniatimes reported similar sentiments, emphasizing that Russia's ongoing strikes on Ukrainian energy sites prompted this decision.
Zelenskyy's announcement came after a series of overnight attacks by Russian missiles and drones that injured at least 19 people in Kyiv and the surrounding region, according to Newsday. The Kyiv military administration stated that the attacks struck more than 10 locations in the capital and damaged 33 sites in the wider region.
In an interview with CBS News on Tuesday, Zelenskyy pushed back on former U.S. President Trump's claim of an energy truce, stating that he would only agree to such a truce if Russia ceased its attacks on Ukrainian energy sites. Zelenskyy said, “We cannot negotiate under these conditions. Russia must stop its attacks first.”
Newsday reported that Ukraine's operation against the Yaroslavl Oil Refinery was conducted jointly by the country's Security Service, special operations forces, military intelligence, and the Foreign Intelligence Service. The attack was part of a broader strategy to disrupt Russia's supply lines and weaken its war effort.
On Sunday, September 20, 2026, Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones toward Russia, including Moscow, as peace negotiations continued. Moscow's mayor described the drone wave as the largest ever attack on the Russian capital, reporting damage to a Moscow oil refinery and a residential building.
According to Fox News, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that 450 drones had been destroyed en route to the Russian capital, and that the attack had damaged the Moscow Oil Refinery and a residential building. Fox News reported that the attack set a local oil refinery ablaze and killed at least two people.
Newsday and Transylvaniatimes reported that Ukraine’s air force destroyed or suppressed 131 Russian aerial targets during the overnight attack in the Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Odesa regions. Both publications agreed that the attacks were part of a broader strategy to disrupt Russia's supply lines and weaken its war effort.
Ukraine received the bodies of 252 soldiers as part of ongoing exchanges with Russia, the government agency handling prisoners of war said on Telegram. This exchange highlights the ongoing human toll of the conflict.
In an interview with CBS News, Zelenskyy emphasized the need for security guarantees from partners for any deal to be reached. He said, “We need assurances that our security will be protected, and that Russia will not continue its attacks.”
Zelenskyy claimed success for Ukraine’s “Vivaldi” counteroffensive, which he said had recaptured roughly 140 square kilometers in eastern Donbas, territory Moscow considers non-negotiable for any peace deal.
The attacks on Russian oil refineries and infrastructure have led to significant supply issues in both countries, according to Newsday. Ukraine has increasingly used long-range drones to strike Russia's oil and gas infrastructure, arguing that the facilities help finance Moscow's war effort and supply fuel for its military.
Background
According to BBC, Ukraine's sustained campaign of drone attacks on Russian-occupied territories is disrupting Moscow's supply lines and intensifying a fuel crisis already triggered by long-range strikes on Russia's oil refineries.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine announced on Oct. 27 that his country had paused attacks on Russian oil refineries for three days, while Russia continued its strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure during this period.
What's confirmed
- Credit: AP/Dan Bashakov KYIV, Ukraine — Russian missiles and drones injured at least 19 people overnight in Ukraine's capital and the surrounding region, authorities said.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that Ukrainian forces had also carried out overnight strikes against targets in Russia, including an oil refinery in Yaroslavl and a military airfield in the Rostov region.
What's still developing
- “I believe that achieving a truce could be one of the key outcomes of this meeting. It could be a truce covering both the energy sector and the Black Sea — specifically in that combination,” he said.
- US envoys Witkoff and Kushner met Zelensky in Kyiv after Moscow talks with Putin The trip is a renewed push to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine following Putin meeting 17 outlets told this the same way.
- The Independent also reported Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the talks were "substantive, constructive and extremely frank," while giving no indication of any breakthrough.
- U.S. Offers Another 17 Million SPR Barrels as Fuel Crisis Deepens What I Cover Tsvetana Paraskova is an energy and commodities journalist who has contributed to Oilprice.com for nearly a decade, covering global energy markets, commodities,… Ukraine will resume drone strikes on Russian refineries after Russia kept hitting energy infrastructure and killing civilians in Ukraine despite U.S. President Trump’s claim of an “energy ceasefire”, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the Financial Times.
- “The block [on attacking refineries] is out. We’re done,” the Ukrainian President told FT, while also criticizing the U.S. eagerness to agree business deals with Russia, including in the energy sector.
- EU construction output rises 2.6% year-on-year in August Eurostat said construction production in the euro area rose 1.4% year-on-year in August 2026 while the broader EU recorded a 2.6% annual increase, with monthly figures showing divergent trends between declining building activity and expanding specialized construction sectors among member states.
Sources
- Newsdaylink
- Cbcpnewslink
- Azernewslink
- Transylvaniatimeslink
- Warpbeatlink
- Informatlink
- Newscordlink
- Cbsaustinlink
- Lavocedinewyorklink
- Fox Newslink
- Oilpricelink
- Enlink
- WarpBeat — background on Russia Intensifies Strikes as Ukraine's Economy Shrinks link
- WarpBeat — background on Zelensky Announces Ukraine Paused Attacks on Russian Oil Refineries link