Ukraine pauses strikes on Russian oil refineries after US pressure

Ukraine has suspended strikes on Russian oil refineries after pressure from the United States, American media report, citing sources. The campaign, they say, has been halted since the start of last week, although Kyiv has not officially announced a pause.

What is known about the pause

In mid-October, long-range air strike units were reportedly told that the campaign, apart from missions already under way, was effectively frozen. President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to a source, approved Defence Minister Yevhen Khmara’s recommendation to hold off on strikes, but stressed that the army could hit the refineries again at any moment.

On Tuesday Zelensky told journalists that people had been trying to be a little more careful in recent days, but that they have no order not to attack the refineries. According to him, drones are currently hitting other targets in Russia. In return for its restraint, Ukraine is asking for better protection of its energy infrastructure, which Russia systematically destroys with missiles and drones ahead of winter. Ukrainian forces last struck Russian oil infrastructure on 20 October, hitting a pumping station of the Druzhba pipeline in the Tambov region.

Why Kyiv was pressured

Donald Trump began accusing Kyiv as early as September of causing high fuel prices with Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries. Experts, however, say the cause is the US-Israeli war against Iran, launched in late February: Tehran responded to the air strikes by blockading the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil supplies.

Trump, according to sources, spent weeks demanding that Zelensky stop the strikes. The request was repeated on 20 October in Oslo by special envoy and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. According to one source, a possible 30-day pause was meant to express Ukraine’s gratitude for the American envoys’ talks with Moscow.

The peak of the crisis in relations between Kyiv and Washington came at the same time: in the first half of October Trump demanded Zelensky’s resignation, and SpaceX restricted Ukraine’s use of the Starlink satellite network and its military version, Starshield. The speed limit from 14 October reportedly weakened Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian logistics; full capacity was restored on 24 October. American officials deny any link to the pause in attacks on the refineries. Some Ukrainian officials, however, say Kyiv was under heavy pressure and had to give Trump some kind of trump card before the congressional elections; European allies also advised taking into account how sensitive the issue of energy prices is in the US.

Meanwhile, Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, is stepping up daily attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and cities, including Kyiv.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz