Ukraine resumes strikes on Russian oil refineries as Zelensky says he feels betrayed

Ukraine has resumed strikes on Russian oil refineries and military targets after a short pause, ending the energy truce that President Donald Trump claimed was in place. The move came after Washington pushed Kyiv to stop hitting Russian refining capacity, and after Trump announced a diesel deal with Moscow.

Trump's ceasefire claim

At the weekend, Trump posted on Truth Social that there was an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, effective immediately. He said both parties had agreed and warned them not to break it. The announcement appeared to surprise both sides. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine learned about it from the media, though he added that Kyiv would support such a truce if Russia did the same. The Kremlin gave no clear commitment. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said contacts were continuing, while Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine did not deserve any respite.

Russia keeps hitting Ukraine's energy grid

Russia continued attacks on Ukrainian energy and civilian infrastructure after Trump's post. Ukraine said power plants and other energy sites were hit in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk and Zaporizhia. In Kharkiv, a strike near a shop killed at least three people and injured more than 20. A thermal power plant was also hit. Later strikes injured another 22 people in the city. In Kyiv, ballistic missile attacks came with little or no warning, leaving residents to shelter in metro stations. Power cuts left homes without heat, water and lifts, and about 600,000 people were reported without power at one point. A drone hit a shopping centre in Sumy, and a supermarket in the Odesa region was struck. In the Kirovohrad region, officials said three people died in a ten-hour Russian drone attack.

Ukraine ends its pause

Ukraine had held off striking Russian refineries since Sunday. Zelensky grew increasingly frustrated as Russian attacks continued. He told Piers Morgan he felt betrayed by Washington over the diesel agreement with Moscow. He also said US intelligence sharing had been withdrawn and that access to the Starshield system, the military version of Elon Musk's satellite network, had been limited, making it harder to spot incoming drones and missiles. Trump denied that intelligence support had been cut. Musk suggested the US government ultimately controlled Starlink.

Zelensky then told the Financial Times that the pause on strikes against Russian oil facilities was over. Ukraine attacked an oil installation in Russia's Ryazan region, setting it alight. Kyiv also said it destroyed six Su-34 bombers at an airfield in the Voronezh region using Neptune cruise missiles. Russia accused Ukraine of attacking the refinery and said it had responded to Ukrainian strikes on its energy facilities.

The diesel deal and US politics

The renewed strikes are tied to a wider row over fuel prices and US politics. Trump announced a deal to buy 300,000 tons of Russian diesel immediately, with millions more later, reversing sanctions policy. The move outraged members of both parties in Washington, coming soon after Congress had voted for sweeping sanctions on Russian oil and gas. Trump argued the deal would help bring down diesel prices before the midterm elections. He blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries for higher fuel costs and called for a new president in Ukraine. He also accused European countries of double standards, saying France, Belgium and the Netherlands still buy Russian natural gas.

Zelensky said the diesel deal showed weakness and that Ukraine needed real American pressure on Moscow, not sanctions relief or concessions. He called for the US to enforce the energy ceasefire if Russia would not. Trump said Ukraine's decision to restart refinery strikes was a disgrace, while Russia said Ukraine was unwilling to pursue peace.

Europe and the wider war

The dispute has deepened concerns in Europe about US reliability. European leaders met in Brussels to discuss support for Ukraine. Zelensky met NATO chief Mark Rutte and EU leaders, thanking them for continued backing. The EU adopted its largest expansion of sanctions against Russia since the full-scale invasion, with nearly 1,600 new listings targeting Russia's military-industrial complex. UK ministers said Russia did not appear to be sticking to the ceasefire.

NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe warned Russia that the alliance was ready to fight if attacked. At the same time, European officials are worried about dependence on US technology and intelligence, after reports that Washington could restrict access to Starlink or intelligence channels. Ukraine says its battlefield operations rely heavily on Starlink and US targeting and warning data.

On the ground, Russia's war continues regardless of the ceasefire talk. Ukraine says it has reclaimed more than 270 square kilometres of occupied territory in recent months and has been disrupting Russian attempts to surround key eastern cities. But Russian drone and missile attacks continue across the country. Ukrainians are preparing for another winter with damaged power stations, scheduled blackouts and the risk of worse to come. For now, the energy ceasefire announced by Trump exists mainly in his social media post, while both sides keep striking.