Ukraine resumes Russian refinery strikes as energy ceasefire unravels

Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Ryazan region early Thursday, Russian officials said, hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared that Ukraine was “done” with a brief halt to attacks on Russian energy sites.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said a fire broke out at the refinery after drone debris fell on the site. Ryazan Gov. Pavel Malkov also reported a fire, and a senior Ukrainian official confirmed the strike to NPR on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly.

The attack followed an energy ceasefire announced Sunday by U.S. President Donald Trump. The agreement was not publicly confirmed by Moscow, according to Al Jazeera, and Ukraine said it suspended attacks on Russian energy facilities for several days. Zelenskyy said Russia continued striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure during that period. In an interview with the Financial Times published Thursday, he said attacks on Russian oil refineries would resume. “We’re done,” he said.

The dispute comes amid renewed strain between Kyiv and Washington. Zelenskyy has accused the United States of withholding intelligence on Russian ballistic missile strikes and restricting the speed of satellite communications used by Ukrainian forces. Trump has denied that the United States stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine.

Zelenskyy told British journalist Piers Morgan that he felt betrayed by Trump’s deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel, the ceasefire announcement and the communications restrictions. “Our country has to survive, and we count on our real partners, strategic partners, the United States and President Trump,” he said. He added that “we are losing a strong partner.”

Al Jazeera reported that the diesel deal would cover 1.8 million tonnes and that the United States had pressed Ukraine to stop attacking refineries, arguing that the pause and the purchase would help lower fuel prices. Zelenskyy criticized the purchase, saying it would help Russia continue its invasion. He told the Financial Times that doing business with Russia while Ukrainians were “surviving, fighting, dying” would be politically difficult to explain in America.

The restrictions concern SpaceX’s satellite internet service, which Ukrainian forces use for military operations. SpaceX owner Elon Musk wrote on X that the U.S. military and Trump control limits on the military version of the service. In another post cited by Al Jazeera, Musk called for Zelenskyy to “go” as Ukraine’s leader. Zelenskyy told Al Jazeera he would consider another pause in strikes on Russian energy sites if the United States supplied Ukraine with Patriot interceptors.

Meanwhile, a Russian drone attack lasting more than 10 hours killed three people and injured six in central Ukraine’s Kirovohrad region, Ukraine’s Emergency Services said Thursday. Zelenskyy said Russia launched more than 850 drones overnight and struck 15 Ukrainian regions. Ukraine’s air force said it stopped 536 drones but recorded impacts at 31 locations.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses downed 166 Ukrainian drones overnight. It also said Russian forces hit two vessels carrying military cargo.