Ukraine has struck three separate targets inside Russia overnight, defying pressure from US President Donald Trump to stop attacking the country’s oil facilities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the strikes via social media on Thursday, hours after Trump had warned that attacks on Russian refineries were driving up diesel prices in the United States.
The overnight strike hit an oil facility in Russia’s southern Samara region. A Russian vessel in the Black Sea was also targeted, along with a launch and storage site for attack drones in the Oryol region. The strikes come as diesel prices in the US have risen to record highs, with Trump pointing directly to Ukraine’s campaign as a major driver.
Trump’s Warning to Zelenskyy
Trump urged Zelenskyy in a private phone call to halt attacks on Russian refineries. His public remarks on Wednesday made the stakes clear.
“Diesel is really hurt much more, not by the Middle East, but by what’s going on in Russia, because those diesel refineries are being knocked out at a pretty alarming rate,” Trump said.
Zelenskyy has pushed for a US-brokered energy ceasefire with Russia, which President Putin has shown little interest in. Instead, Putin vowed to intensify strikes on Ukraine.
The Scale of Ukraine’s Campaign
Ukraine’s strikes have knocked out more than 45% of Russia’s refining capacity, according to Ukrainian estimates. Fuel rationing has occurred in some regions, and long queues have formed at petrol stations. The strikes have become a central feature of the conflict, with Kyiv arguing that they weaken Russia’s ability to sustain its war effort.
Mykola Bielieskov, a military analyst at Ukraine’s government-run National Institute for Strategic Studies, said Kyiv will likely keep targeting Russian oil infrastructure as long as Moscow continues daily attacks.
“There is no rationale for Ukraine to continue exercising restraint while it is being bombarded and major urban areas are under constant attack,” Bielieskov said.
Bielieskov’s analysis reflects his own view of the situation.
The Attacks Continue
Russian attacks on Kyiv have occurred nearly around-the-clock in recent weeks. On Thursday morning, a Russian drone struck a school in Kyiv, though no one was injured because children were sheltering in the basement, according to mayor Vitali Klitschko.
A key bridge in Kyiv was also hit, forcing suspension of metro services and other public transport. The city has become a frequent target in recent months.
Newer jet-powered Russian drones have proven particularly hard for Ukrainian air defences to intercept, with success rates significantly lower than for slower Shahed-type drones.
Last year, similar strikes left parts of Ukraine without electricity during temperatures as low as -20C.
The Global Price Impact
Energy analysts point to the war in Iran and wider disruption to global oil markets as the leading drivers of price increases. Diesel prices in the US have risen to record highs recently, with Trump warning that the situation could worsen if Ukraine’s strikes continue.
Russia has responded by extending its ban on diesel exports until the end of October.
| Target | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Oil facility | Samara region | Struck overnight |
| Russian vessel | Black Sea | Hit |
| Drone launch/storage site | Oryol region | Struck |
| School | Kyiv | Damaged, no injuries |
| Bridge | Kyiv | Hit, metro suspended |
What Comes Next
The immediate question is whether Zelenskyy will heed Trump’s warning. The evidence so far suggests he will not.
Kyiv has repeatedly rejected calls to cease operations against Russian infrastructure. Bielieskov’s analysis reflects his own view of the situation.
The longer-term question is whether the strikes can achieve their stated goals. Knocking out more than 45% of Russia’s refining capacity is a significant achievement, but it has not yet translated into a decisive shift in the conflict’s direction.
Trump’s warning to Zelenskyy was blunt: stop the strikes, or face the consequences of rising fuel prices. Zelenskyy has not backed down.
The school in Kyiv was struck on Thursday morning. No one was injured because children were sheltering in the basement.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s strikes on Russian oil targets as a matter of sovereign authority, and is against any US pressure that would compel him to cease them. Zelenskyy has repeatedly rejected calls to halt operations against Russian infrastructure, and the evidence so far suggests he will not heed Trump’s warning.
The strikes have knocked out more than 45% of Russia’s refining capacity, per Ukrainian estimates, and Kyiv argues they weaken Russia’s ability to sustain its war effort. The paper supports Kyiv’s right to conduct these operations as part of its own war strategy.
The paper is against letting big companies hide their failures, and it opposes any pressure that would compel a sovereign leader to cease military operations. The strikes are a matter of sovereign authority, and outside powers should not compel Zelenskyy to cease them.
Source material: “Ukraine persists with Russian oil refinery strikes, defying Trump on fuel price warnings,” The Guardian.
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