Ukraine has resumed striking Russian oil refineries following the conclusion of a limited ceasefire in the occupied town of Oleshky, according to reports from Russian state media and Ukrainian officials. The attacks targeted the Kstovo refinery in Nizhny Novgorod oblast and a major facility in Samara oblast operated by Rosneft. The strikes occurred despite reported pressure from the White House to halt such operations.
Ukrainian officials stated they had not agreed to a demand from Jared Kushner, a senior White House advisor, to pause refinery strikes for 30 days. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not directly acknowledge the refinery attacks but said his armed forces targeted a defense industry facility in Russia’s Rostov region, framing the operations as part of Ukraine’s “long-range sanctions” in response to ongoing Russian bombardment. Russian officials claimed Ukraine was “simply ignoring” US wishes by restarting raids on Friday.
The recent military activity occurred against a backdrop of escalating Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Zelenskyy reported that four Ukrainian regions were hit overnight, resulting in power cuts affecting hundreds of thousands of households, with Kyiv experiencing outages lasting eight to ten hours. He cited the destruction of critical thermal power plants and emphasized that Russia was employing intensive drone and ballistic missile campaigns against vulnerable civilian energy facilities.
The six-day local ceasefire that ended this period had been brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump and focused on the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky. The truce facilitated humanitarian evacuations that reunited residents with family members. Ukrainian observers suggested the Russians used the period to reinforce military positions and rotate troops, with expectations of renewed hostilities. International figures, including Pope Francis, expressed hope that the cooperation demonstrated during the ceasefire could lead to broader peace negotiations.
Larger diplomatic efforts appear to be developing, with trilateral talks involving Russia, Ukraine, and the US expected later this month. Russian officials indicated President Vladimir Putin would be willing to speak directly with Zelenskyy by phone, though they stated European leaders supporting Ukraine should not participate. Russia’s stated conditions for negotiations remain extensive, including demands for Ukrainian territorial concessions in multiple oblasts.
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