Zelensky Says Ukraine will Halt Refinery Strikes if Russia Stops Attacking its Energy Infrastructure

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was prepared to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries if Moscow stopped attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, as tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump intensified over the war and rising fuel prices.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine is willing to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries if Russia stops striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure. [Photo: National Police of Ukraine]

In a statement on X, Zelensky said Ukraine was willing to stop targeting Russian energy facilities if Russia reciprocated.

He argued that any de-escalation must be mutual and supported by credible guarantees. The comments came after Trump criticized Zelensky over Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil infrastructure and suggested that Ukraine needed different leadership.

Trump has also linked the attacks to higher diesel prices, although fuel costs are influenced by several factors, including the separate conflict involving Iran.

Zelensky has maintained that Russia bears responsibility for starting the war and that Ukraine’s actions are a response to Russian attacks on its territory and infrastructure.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also defended Zelensky, saying that the Ukrainian people have the right to decide who leads their country.

Sybiha’s comments followed Trump’s criticism of the Ukrainian president.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone attack reportedly damaged a Yandex data center in the Russian city of Vladimir, east of Moscow, disrupting services operated by the technology company.

Russian independent news outlet Astra reported outages affecting users in several Russian cities and neighboring countries.

Yandex Cloud’s operational updates reportedly said the facility’s infrastructure had been damaged and operations at the data center had been halted.

No injuries were reported in the statement cited by the outlet.

The reported disruption illustrates how attacks on infrastructure can have consequences beyond the immediate battlefield, affecting digital services used by civilians and businesses.

The broader dispute over energy infrastructure comes amid continuing attacks by both sides and uncertainty over proposals for a halt to strikes.

On October 11, Trump announced an “energy ceasefire,” but Zelensky said Russian attacks were continuing and emphasized that Ukraine’s participation would depend on reciprocal action.

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