Ukraine Ready to Halt Refinery Strikes for Energy Truce, Zelensky Says

Key Points:

• President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Ukraine's willingness to halt long-range strikes on Russian oil refineries if Russia stops attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, emphasizing that any de-escalation must be mutual with real guarantees.
• Over the past week, Russian forces launched approximately 1,450 guided aerial bombs, 75 missiles, and more than 1,640 strike drones against Ukraine, causing significant civilian casualties and infrastructure damage, including a deadly strike in Zaporizhzhia killing 23 people.
• Ukraine continues its intensified campaign targeting Russian petrochemical logistics, striking key facilities such as the Samara production station and oil storage reservoirs, aiming to disrupt fuel supplies to Russian military forces.
• The issue of refinery strikes has caused tensions between Kyiv and Washington, with US officials urging Ukraine to stop such attacks to stabilize global fuel markets, a request Ukraine has rejected without reciprocal Russian restraint.
• Zelensky stressed that any suspension of interdiction operations must be part of a bilateral agreement that ensures protection of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, especially ahead of the winter heating season.