Kremlin Alleges Ukrainian Strike on Oil Refinery as Zelensky Vows to Resume Energy Attacks

Russia has accused Ukraine of targeting an oil refinery following President Volodymyr Zelensky’s declaration that Kyiv would resume strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, ending a brief pause requested by Washington.

Zelensky stated that Ukraine had halted such attacks for three days while Russia continued to bombard Ukrainian energy facilities. “We’re done,” he told the Financial Times, signaling the end of the unilateral restraint.

The Ukrainian leader also alleged that the United States suspended intelligence sharing regarding incoming Russian strikes to coerce Kyiv into ceasing its attacks entirely, a move he linked to a U.S. deal to import Russian diesel. He further claimed that recent restrictions on Starlink satellite services—critical to Ukraine’s military operations—were intentional.

The Kremlin subsequently claimed that Kyiv attempted a “large-scale attack” on a refinery south of Moscow early Thursday. Russia’s Defence Ministry reported that air defenses intercepted four missiles and dozens of drones, though falling debris sparked a fire at the facility in the Ryazan region.

Meanwhile, Zelensky reported that dozens of Ukrainian cities had come under Russian attack over the previous 24 hours. The Ukrainian president had previously expressed willingness to observe a U.S.-proposed “energy ceasefire” announced by President Donald Trump on Sunday, provided Moscow reciprocated.

However, he accused Russia of violating the proposed arrangement within hours, with strikes cutting power to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians. The Kremlin never formally agreed to the truce.

In an interview with Piers Morgan on Wednesday, Zelensky acknowledged feeling “betrayed” by the U.S. following what appeared to be a withdrawal of key support mechanisms. Speaking to the Financial Times, Zelensky revealed that U.S. counterparts had explicitly warned Ukrainian officials: “If you will not stop [the strikes], we will block intelligence.”

Ukraine’s military depends on U.S. early-warning alerts to intercept Russian aerial assaults, while Starlink connectivity underpins drone guidance and air defense coordination across the front lines.

Following an unexpected restriction on drone operating speeds via Starlink on Tuesday, initial speculation pointed to a technical fault. However, owner Elon Musk dismissed that theory, implying the restriction originated from the Trump administration—a claim President Trump denied regarding intelligence sharing.

“It was not a technical problem, it was the will,” Zelensky told the FT.

Sources within Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence told the BBC early Thursday that “operation while on the move” capabilities for Starshield—the military variant of Starlink—had been restored. Officials are still working to clarify “the reasons and circumstances behind yesterday’s restrictions,” the sources added.

A soldier with a Ukrainian drone reconnaissance unit, identified as Neo, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that any deliberate degradation of the Starlink network would constitute “a betrayal.”

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