Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that Ukraine will resume attacks on Russian oil refineries, signalling a possible escalation in tensions with Moscow and Washington.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Zelensky said the temporary restrictions on targeting Russian refineries had ended.
“The block on attacking refineries is out. We're done,” he declared.
Zelensky explained that Ukraine had suspended attacks on Russian energy facilities for three days following a request from the United States. However, he accused Russia of continuing to strike Ukraine's energy infrastructure during the same period, claiming that more than 100 civilians had died over the previous week.
The Ukrainian leader also expressed frustration with Washington, saying Kyiv received no advance warning from its American partners about incoming Russian ballistic missile attacks despite observing the temporary truce.
He further raised concerns about restricted access to Starlink services, dismissing suggestions that the disruptions were caused by technical problems.
“It was not a technical problem, it was the will,” Zelensky said.
According to the Ukrainian president, American officials had warned that continued attacks on Russian refineries could lead to Washington suspending intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
Despite the growing tensions, Zelensky indicated that Ukraine could consider a longer-term halt to refinery attacks if the United States provided additional missiles for its Patriot air defence systems. He described such deliveries as his minimum requirement.
On October 11, US President Donald Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an energy-sector truce. Zelensky subsequently confirmed that Ukrainian forces had received orders to temporarily stop attacks on Russian refineries.
However, reports indicated that Russian forces continued targeting infrastructure in Kyiv during the pause.
Axios also reported that Trump expected Zelensky to honour the arrangement and was frustrated by Ukraine's continued position on refinery strikes. A White House source quoted by the outlet said Trump believed Zelensky was taking American support for granted.
Zelensky's latest remarks highlight the growing disagreements between Kyiv and Washington over military support, intelligence cooperation and the conditions under which Ukraine should suspend attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.