Ukraine resumes strikes on Russian oil refineries despite Trump demands

Oct 15, 2026

Relations between Washington and Kyiv have sharply deteriorated after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected U.S. demands to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, terminating a brief pause after continued Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. President Donald Trump, who recently eased sanctions on Russian diesel to address high U.S. pump prices of $6.32 per gallon, called the strikes a disgrace and expressed frustration with Zelensky. Amid U.S. threats to curtail intelligence sharing and Starshield satellite access, Zelensky rallied European leaders in Brussels, securing support from French President Emmanuel Macron and requesting €70 billion in assistance.

Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries

▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared in an October 15, 2026 interview with the Financial Times that Ukraine had resumed long-range drone strikes on Russian oil refineries after a three-day pause
▪Ukrainian drone strikes targeted a Russian oil refinery south of Moscow, causing a fire and prompting Russian authorities to accuse Kyiv of derailing peace efforts
▪Ukraine stated it was willing to halt refinery strikes if Russia stopped attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure, but Russian forces continued striking targets including an attack on Lutsk

U.S. pressure on Ukrainian strikes

▪U.S. defense officials confirmed that the United States threatened to withdraw military intelligence-sharing if Ukraine continued long-range strikes on Russian oil refineries
▪U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Vice President JD Vance asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky not to strike Russian oil refineries

Trump statements on Ukrainian strikes

▪President Donald Trump declared on September 13, 2026 that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky needed to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia
▪President Donald Trump called Ukraine's renewed strikes on Russian oil refineries a disgrace and claimed that Ukrainian attacks were driving up global diesel energy prices

Trump criticism of Volodymyr Zelensky

▪President Donald Trump stated in an October 15, 2026 Newsmax interview that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is more difficult to deal with than Russian President Vladimir Putin
▪President Donald Trump stated on October 10, 2026 that it was time for Ukraine to get a new president

Starshield satellite network disruptions

▪A bipartisan group of U.S. senators demanded a Pentagon investigation on October 15, 2026 into disruptions affecting the Starshield satellite network
▪Ukrainian military operations faced connectivity disruptions on the SpaceX Starshield satellite system, which Elon Musk stated is owned and controlled by the U.S. military and President Donald Trump

Trump's energy ceasefire initiative and campaign goals

▪President Donald Trump announced an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in October 2026, but Russian forces continued striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure
▪During his 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump pledged to lower energy prices and achieve a swift end to the war in Ukraine

U.S. sanctions relief on Russian diesel

▪A bipartisan group of U.S. senators called on President Donald Trump to reverse his decision to ease Russian diesel sanctions, calling the diesel sanctions deal with Russia a gift to an adversary
▪President Donald Trump lifted U.S. sanctions on Russian diesel in exchange for Moscow releasing large quantities of diesel onto global fuel markets

Ukrainian opposition to the U.S.-Russia diesel deal

▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned European leaders at a Brussels summit that the U.S.-Russia diesel sanctions-easing deal would direct funds straight into President Vladimir Putin's pocket
▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in an interview with Piers Morgan that he felt betrayed by President Donald Trump's sanctions-easing diesel agreement with Russia reached last week, calling it a weak decision

Global diesel supply and prices

▪Average U.S. retail diesel prices stood at $6.32 per gallon on October 15, 2026, compared to $6.29 per gallon a week earlier, according to AAA data
▪Export statistics showed that Donald Trump's war on Iran was the primary cause of the global diesel supply crunch

European defense support requested at Brussels summit

▪French President Emmanuel Macron stated after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that it is crucial for Ukraine to receive all necessary means to defend itself
▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European leaders in Brussels on October 15, 2026, seeking increased defense support and pressure on Russia
▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged European allies at the Brussels summit on Friday, October 16, to provide at least €70 billion in additional military and financial assistance for 2027

American public opinion on Russia

▪A Pew Research Center poll from March 2026 found that 83 percent of Americans and 83 percent of Republicans held an unfavorable view of Russia
▪A July 2026 poll by the Chicago Council for Global Affairs found that 42 percent of Americans viewed Russia's territorial ambitions as a critical threat