Ukraine resumed strikes on Russian oil refineries after Russia continued attacking Ukraine’s energy system. Kyiv agreed to US President Donald Trump’s request to refrain from such strikes on the condition that Moscow also stop attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained this in an interview with PBS NewsHour.
The president said that during a conversation with Trump, he agreed not to attack Russian oil refineries but set a condition that strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure must also stop.
“I said: OK, we will not, if Russia does not attack our energy system. But Russia did it several times. And these were terrible attacks, massive attacks, very difficult for our people. We had huge problems with electricity. And that is why we responded,” Zelenskyy said.
According to him, Ukraine strikes facilities that are most sensitive for Russia, including oil refineries and oil, gas and other energy infrastructure.
The Ukrainian side asked Trump to call Putin and propose supporting an energy ceasefire. Zelenskyy noted that he had publicly declared Ukraine’s readiness not to attack Russian oil refineries, hoping Moscow would take similar steps. However, Russian forces continued striking Ukraine’s energy system.
“But, as we understood, the Russians were delaying. I said this publicly: we will not attack their oil refineries. I hoped that they would eventually at least support the agreement not to attack our energy system. But they attacked. All these days they attacked us. And at the end of those four days, we responded,” Zelenskyy said.
