Zelensky says Ukraine paused refinery strikes for three days during energy truce
Ukraine withheld attacks on Russian oil refineries for 72 hours, Zelensky said, while retaining the option to respond to Russian strikes on its energy infrastructure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a 27 October briefing that Ukraine paused attacks on Russian oil refineries for three days during an energy truce, even as Russia continued striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure, The Kyiv Independent reported. The pause applied to refineries, he said, rather than to all Ukrainian military responses.
Zelensky said Ukrainian forces focused on other targets during the first 72 hours. He said they acted more cautiously but were not ordered to refrain from responding to Russian strikes. His account of the pause and Russia’s conduct was given at a closed-door briefing with journalists.
How the three-day refinery pause began
US President Donald Trump announced on 11 October that an energy ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia had taken effect. Zelensky said the announcement surprised him, but that Kyiv was ready to observe it, according to The Kyiv Independent. He said Ukraine made a reduction in Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure a condition for withholding refinery strikes.
Zelensky described instructing Ukrainian forces to strike other targets for at least 72 hours and leave oil refineries alone. ‘That didn’t help,’ he said, referring to Russia’s continued attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. He also cited an incident involving the Ryazan oil refinery on 15 October and said Ukrainian forces targeted data centers and sites where Russian ballistic missiles were concentrated.
Why Russian oil exports matter to the dispute
Ukraine has targeted Russian refineries in an effort to reduce revenue from energy exports and constrain Moscow’s ability to fund the war, CNBC reported. Zelensky said Ukraine had not targeted ships carrying Russian diesel fuel to the United States under an agreement Trump announced on 9 October, according to The Kyiv Independent.
CNBC reported that Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to exports of 800,000 metric tons of Russian diesel in October and November, followed by another million tons. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNBC that a suspension of US sanctions on those exports was intended as an incentive for Moscow to end the war. He said further shipments could be allowed depending on Russia’s behavior.
Zelensky and several US lawmakers criticized the diesel agreement, CNBC reported. The outlet said the Kremlin had partially lifted its diesel export ban to fulfil the deal. Wright said the shipments would help fuel supplies only at the margin.
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Sources and context
- Ukraine paused attacks on oil refineries for 3 days as Russia continued strikes on energy infrastructure, Zelensky saysThe Kyiv Independent
- Trump administration may let more Russian diesel onto market, energy secretary tells CNBCCNBC
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.