Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that operations targeting Russian oil refineries would restart, stating that a prior hold on such strikes — put in place following a proposal from former US President Donald Trump — was no longer in effect. Zelensky indicated that the matter had, from his standpoint, reached its conclusion.

Ukraine had paused attacks on energy infrastructure for a three-day window, Zelensky stated, in response to a request from Washington for what both sides termed an "energy ceasefire." Strikes on Ukrainian power infrastructure persisted over that period, alongside a reported death toll of more than 100 civilians within the preceding seven days, according to his account.

Zelensky added that, even with the halt on strikes in place, Ukrainian forces had been cut off from access to American early-warning data on incoming ballistic missiles. He also said that throttling of Starlink satellite connectivity — a service operated by Elon Musk's company — had been reported across the country, with the disruption hampering both battlefield coordination and medium-range strikes on Russian military positions.

Reports from a named broadcaster indicated that the administration had moved to intensify its leverage over Kyiv, urging the country to halt drone and missile strikes on Russian oil-processing facilities while also pursuing an arrangement to procure hundreds of thousands of tonnes of Russian diesel — steps framed by officials as necessary to bring down fuel costs domestically.

Zelensky took issue with the direction of US policy toward Russia, pointing to what he described as a growing openness to commercial arrangements with Moscow and to the nature of Trump's personal ties with Putin. When asked about the dynamic between Trump and Putin, Zelensky described the president as someone drawn to leaders who hold authoritarian power and to individuals of considerable personal wealth, adding that Trump himself had spoken openly about holding both groups in high regard.

Zelensky explained that, in his view, leaders who hold power for two, three, or even four decades tend to consolidate considerable strength over that time.

Zelensky tied any halt to drone and missile attacks on Russian oil-refining facilities to the prior delivery of Patriot interceptor systems from the United States. He raised the concern that halting the strikes might open the door to further negotiations between Washington and Moscow — talks that could yield arrangements channelling additional resources toward Russia's ongoing military operations in Ukraine, adding: "The question will be when will the next deal be?"

One possibility under consideration, Zelensky said, involves natural gas. He expressed certainty that gas would be the weapon used.

Zelensky characterised the halt to US intelligence sharing and the interruption of Starlink services as placing Ukraine at an operational disadvantage, adding that while a path forward existed, granting Putin renewed momentum or resolve to continue fighting was something he regarded as worth avoiding.

A post shared by Trump on his own social media platform, dated 11 October, described an "energy ceasefire" between Russia and Ukraine as having come into force at that point. The announcement described a mutual agreement to halt strikes on energy infrastructure — a claim that, at the time, neither party had actually been notified of.

Coverage from a named broadcaster indicated that Zelensky had not received advance notice of the ceasefire proposal put forward by Trump, even as Ukraine expressed support for the plan. Zelensky disclosed that afternoon that Russian forces had struck the CHP-5 combined heat and power plant in Kharkiv along with a power station serving Kyiv.

On 13 October, Zelensky disclosed that Ukrainian forces had, at Trump's request, gone two days without striking Russian oil refineries or energy infrastructure — a restraint observed while Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities and infrastructure continued throughout that same window.