Ukraine struck Russia’s Ryazan oil refinery on Thursday after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced an end to Kyiv’s restraint on attacks.
Zelenskyy criticised Trump’s approach to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The escalation comes as Russia and Ukraine continue to accuse each other of undermining peace efforts.
Ukraine struck a Russian oil refinery in the Ryazan region on Thursday after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv would resume attacks on Russian energy facilities, dealing a blow to US President Donald Trump’s proposed energy ceasefire.
“The block (on attacking refineries) is out. We're done,” Zelenskyy told the Financial Times, signalling an end to Ukraine’s pause on refinery strikes after Trump announced that Moscow and Kyiv had agreed to stop attacking energy infrastructure.
The escalation comes amid growing tensions between Zelenskyy and Trump over Washington’s approach to Russia. Ukraine depends heavily on US military assistance and technology as it fights Russia’s invasion, launched in February 2022.
Russian Refinery Hit In Drone Attack
The refinery in Ryazan, southeast of Moscow, is owned by state-run oil company Rosneft. It accounts for nearly five per cent of Russia’s refining capacity and helps supply fuel to the capital.
Regional governor Pavel Malkov said a major Ukrainian drone attack had caused a fire at the facility.
Trump announced the proposed energy truce on Sunday. Ukraine subsequently paused strikes on Russian refineries, which Trump has blamed for contributing to higher global diesel prices. However, Russia continued missile and drone attacks, including strikes on energy infrastructure and power stations that left hundreds of thousands of people without electricity.
Zelenskyy had earlier backed the proposed ceasefire despite the continuing Russian attacks. His latest remarks indicate that Kyiv will no longer exercise restraint while Moscow continues striking Ukrainian targets.
Russian President Vladimir Putin played down the impact of Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, saying they had caused “nothing particularly significant”. The Kremlin, meanwhile, argued that Ukraine’s attacks undermined US peace efforts and said the scope of the proposed truce remained unclear.
Zelenskyy Criticises Trump’s Approach To Putin
In his interview with the Financial Times, Zelenskyy criticised Trump’s apparent admiration for leaders who remain in power for decades.
“He (Trump) speaks about it openly and loudly that he loves such people and he respects such people,” the newspaper quoted Zelenskyy as saying. “Because for him people who can be leaders 20 years, 30 years, 40 years, it means they can be very strong.”
Relations between the two leaders have been strained since their February 2025 Oval Office meeting ended in a public confrontation. Zelenskyy later reaffirmed his support for continued US assistance, including the proposed energy ceasefire.
The dispute comes as Trump faces pressure to lower fuel prices ahead of US midterm elections. Diesel prices have reached record highs since the US president launched a war against Iran in February. Trump has also blamed Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries for pushing up global prices.
Starlink Disruption Raises Further Concerns
Zelenskyy also said recent changes affecting military use of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet terminals, which disrupted Ukraine’s drone operations, reflected a policy decision rather than a technical problem.
“It was not a technical problem, it was the will,” he said.
SpaceX chief Elon Musk said Starshield, the military version of the system, was owned and controlled by the US government, with restrictions on speed and usage determined by the US military and ultimately the president.
A source in Ukraine’s defence ministry told Reuters that the terminals were working again on moving objects, but only at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour (160 kph). Ukrainian officials said the limit was too low for some mid-range attack missions and interceptor drones.
British Defence Minister Wes Streeting welcomed the restoration of Starlink service and stressed the importance of continued US engagement in efforts to end the war.
Zelenskyy was due to attend a European Union summit on Friday, where strengthening Ukraine’s air defences was expected to be a key issue.
Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to target Russian refineries and logistics infrastructure with long-range drones, describing the strikes as retaliation for sustained Russian bombardment. In a separate incident in the Black Sea, rescuers searched for seven missing sailors after drones struck two chemical tankers near Romania’s coast, setting both vessels ablaze.
The latest attacks leave the future of Trump’s proposed energy truce uncertain, as Russia and Ukraine continue to accuse each other of undermining peace efforts.
