Photo: Collected
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that strikes on Russian oil refineries will resume. He took the decision because Russia has continued attacking Ukrainian energy installations despite a United States proposal to halt strikes on energy infrastructure. The Ukrainian president also criticised restrictions on the sharing of US intelligence and curbs on the Starlink satellite internet service.
In an interview with the British newspaper the Financial Times, Zelensky said he had held off strikes on Russian energy infrastructure for three days after the sudden US ‘energy ceasefire’ initiative. But as Russia kept attacking Ukrainian energy installations, he said, ‘We will no longer hold this back.’
Russia’s defence ministry claimed on Thursday (15 October) that Ukraine had attempted a major attack on an oil refinery in the Ryazan region the previous night. Ukraine has not yet commented on the matter.
Zelensky’s dissatisfaction with US President Donald Trump’s recent moves on Russia is steadily growing. Last week Trump disclosed a controversial deal to buy diesel from Russia. As part of efforts to bring down fuel prices in the United States and to manage economic pressure before the midterm elections, Trump is pressing Ukraine to stop attacking Russian energy installations.
Zelensky alleged that US officials had warned Ukrainian military officers that the supply of intelligence could be cut off if attacks on Russian energy installations did not stop. Such information is extremely important for Ukraine in countering Russian ballistic missile attacks; advance information about launch sites and likely targets helps the country’s defence.
Ukraine’s concern has deepened further over the imposition of restrictions on the Starlink satellite internet service owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Ukrainian officials say that limits on Starshield, the service built for military use, disrupt important military operations. However, a source in Ukraine’s defence ministry said on Thursday that Starshield operations had resumed and that talks were under way with the parties concerned to establish the reason for the restrictions.
Zelensky said Ukraine’s defence capability nonetheless remains constrained. According to him, Russia used more than 850 attack drones after midnight on Thursday. Ukraine uses the Starlink system in countering Russian attacks, and the country fears Russia could take advantage of any disruption to communications.
Musk, for his part, said Starshield is under the control of the US government and that the US military and the president determine the limits on its use. He also said that as Starlink is a commercial service it is not meant to be used in offensive military operations.
Against this backdrop, Zelensky has been working to shore up support from European allies. He met British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and King Charles III in London on Wednesday.
