Ukraine to restart strikes on Russian oil refineries, Zelensky says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced plans to resume strikes on Russian oil refineries, accusing the United States of withdrawing crucial support. The Ukrainian leader revealed that he had limited such attacks for three days at Washington's request, while Russia continued to target Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Zelensky stated he was "done" with these restrictions and accused the US of withdrawing intelligence-sharing on Russian strikes to pressure Kyiv into ending the attacks. The Ukrainian president further alleged that a slowdown in Starlink satellite services used by Ukraine's military was deliberate. Zelensky previously expressed willingness to agree to the "energy ceasefire" proposed by US President Donald Trump, but accused Russia of disregarding the deal within hours of its announcement.

The Kremlin never officially confirmed their agreement. Zelensky felt betrayed by the US, according to a recent interview with Piers Morgan. The Ukrainian leader expressed concern over the US potentially blocking intelligence support, as Ukrainian military relies on US early-warning alerts to mount air defences. Zelensky also highlighted the need for the US to supply more Patriot air defense missiles, as Ukraine has faced a shortage of these defenses since the outbreak of the Iran war.

The Ukrainian president emphasized his intention to only halt strikes on Russian oil infrastructure if the US provided additional Patriot missiles. Zelensky criticized the US-Ukrainian relationship's current state due to recent tensions, stating it was not his responsibility to mend the relationship.