Zelenskyy vows refinery strikes as infrastructure warfare escalates
Zelenskyy told Reuters that Ukrainian intelligence had obtained documents indicating that Russian president Vladimir Putin had approved a broader range of targets ahead of the winter campaign, including infrastructure, roads, schools and hospitals. He said the aim was to disrupt daily life and pressure people to leave Kyiv and other cities. First of all, oil refiners etc: what gives money to them for this war,” Zelenskyy said. He said Ukraine would respond against Russian energy infrastructure but would not deliberately target civilian facilities. Zelenskyy, however, said Ukrainian intelligence documents showed the Russian objective was to make life in Ukrainian cities increasingly difficult. Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s response would focus on Russian energy infrastructure, particularly oil refineries that generate revenue for Moscow’s war effort. Zelenskyy said he had seen no indication that Moscow was ready to resume meaningful negotiations or agree to a ceasefire covering energy infrastructure.
Ukraine has vowed to step up attacks on Russian oil refineries in response to what president Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as a new Russian strategy of targeting infrastructure across Ukrainian cities, including energy, transport and logistics networks. “We have to respond in any way we can. With their attacks on our energy, we have to respond on their energy. The strategy also reflects Kyiv’s broader campaign against Russia’s energy sector. Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian oil facilities in an effort to disrupt fuel production and export revenues, although US president Donald Trump has urged Zelenskyy to stop striking Russian oil installations, arguing that the attacks were contributing to higher global diesel prices.