Ukraine resumes refinery strikes as Oleshky truce ends

Ukrainian long-range drones set fire to the Kstovo refinery in Nizhny Novgorod oblast on Sunday morning. Russian state media reported the incident followed a major strike on a Rosneft-owned facility in Samara oblast. These attacks mark a resumption of pressure on Russian energy infrastructure after a brief pause.

The strikes occurred despite reports that the White House urged Kyiv to halt operations. The Wall Street Journal previously stated that Ukraine agreed to stop bombing energy sites. Ukrainian officials told the Kyiv Independent that they never accepted a request from Jared Kushner to pause refinery strikes for 30 days. Kremlin officials complained on Friday that Kyiv is simply ignoring US wishes.

President Donald Trump had blamed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for rising global fuel prices. Last month, the US lifted sanctions on Russian diesel. Zelenskyy has not publicly acknowledged the latest refinery hits. Instead, he stated that Ukrainian forces targeted a defense industry enterprise in Rostov region that manufactures missiles. He added that a Pantsir missile system was destroyed as part of long-range sanctions.

Zelenskyy justified the retaliation by citing a relentless Russian campaign against city-based energy facilities. Russia struck four regions overnight, cutting electricity to hundreds of thousands of households. On Sunday, Kyiv experienced power cuts lasting eight to ten hours after a critical thermal power plant was damaged. The president noted on Telegram that the intensity of strikes remains very high.

He reported that Russia suffered record losses in October, with 54,400 military personnel killed or wounded. This figure represents the highest monthly count since the full-scale war began. Ukraine recaptured 96.2 square kilometers of territory last month. Moscow seized 10.4 square kilometers less than the Ukrainian forces gained.

The military escalation coincides with the end of a six-day ceasefire in the occupied town of Oleshky. The truce was brokered by First Lady Melania Trump. Hundreds of residents were reunited with family members over the weekend. Both sides described the evacuation mission as a success, though the agreement was due to expire late Sunday.

Ukrainian observers stated that Russian forces used the truce to reinforce positions. They swapped exhausted troops garrisoned in Oleshky, a town on the left bank of the Dnipro River opposite Kherson. The Pope expressed hope on Sunday that cooperation in implementing the Oleshky ceasefire would pave the way for broader peace efforts. He said during his Sunday prayer that the humanitarian gesture would strengthen willingness to engage in dialogue.

Trilateral talks involving Russia, Ukraine, and the US are expected later this month. Kremlin officials said on Sunday that Vladimir Putin is willing to speak directly with Zelenskyy by phone. They added that European leaders should not join such a call. Russia maintains its demand for Ukraine to cede all of Donetsk oblast and further territory in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia provinces.