Ukraine launched a strike against a Russian oil refinery on Thursday, citing what it described as Moscow's failure to observe a short-lived mutual halt on attacks targeting energy infrastructure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters he felt let down by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Fire broke out at the petroleum refinery — located in the Ryazan region, approximately 180 miles from Moscow — following a drone impact on the site, according to statements from both the Russian Defence Ministry and the region's governor, Pavel Malkov. An image described by the outlet as showing the fire was published by Astra, the Russian-based online news organisation.
Analysts have noted that ties between Kyiv and Washington — already under visible pressure over recent days — face the prospect of further deterioration in the wake of the attack. Zelensky expressed anger over the continued targeting of Ukraine's energy infrastructure by Russian air strikes, a pattern he noted persisted despite a call from Trump over the weekend for both parties to stop such attacks.
Zelensky noted that, even as Ukraine went along with the ceasefire proposal, Western intelligence on incoming Russian ballistic missile strikes had stopped reaching Ukrainian forces over the preceding days, and restrictions had been placed on how Starlink communication terminals supplied by the United States could be operated. The Ukrainian armed forces depend on both to sustain their operations.
Speaking to a prominent news outlet on Thursday, Zelensky announced plans to resume strikes on Russian oil refineries and indicated that his patience with the current situation had run out. An unnamed Ukrainian official, barred from making public statements and therefore speaking without attribution, told reporters that a strike on the refinery had been carried out by Ukrainian forces.
On Thursday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov maintained that Ukrainian forces had not halted their attacks on oil refineries. Independent verification of the accounts put forward by either party was not possible.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described Ukraine's strikes on oil infrastructure as a direct provocation aimed at Trump. A separate point of friction involves an arrangement Trump reached with Putin to bring in Russian diesel fuel — a move that runs counter to the broader international push to impose economic penalties on Moscow and limit Putin's diplomatic standing over the invasion.
Zelensky pushed back on the proposed agreement, contending that it would leave room for Russia to press ahead with its military operations in Ukraine — a conflict now stretching past four and a half years. Diplomatic initiatives pursued during the Trump administration have yet to bring the conflict to a close.
In a Wednesday interview with a British journalist on a YouTube programme, Zelensky told the host that he felt let down by the way Washington had handled three matters: the deal reached with Putin, the announcement of an energy ceasefire, and the restrictions placed on the Starlink system that had curtailed Ukrainian drone operations. When asked directly, he added, "Really, yes, between us," and noted that Ukraine "count[s] on our real partners, strategic partners, the United States and President Trump."
He described the Starlink limitations and broader conduct from Washington as "really strange," and in the same interview said Ukraine was "losing a strong partner" in the United States, stating that it was "painful when President Trump chooses one side, not our side." He went on to say that the positioning worked in their favour.
At a press briefing, Zelensky told journalists that an unnamed third party had been influencing Trump's stance in ways he viewed as inconsistent with the historical record. Separately, Elon Musk took to X to note that Starshield — the military version of Starlink — falls under the command authority of the U.S. armed forces and the president.
No explanation for the service slowdown had been provided to Kyiv by either SpaceX, the satellite network's operator, or the Pentagon, according to a government representative who was granted anonymity to address details of the matter. A well-known broadcast outlet submitted comment requests to the Pentagon regarding the slowdown and received no reply. In a public statement, Trump maintained that intelligence-sharing with Ukraine remains ongoing on the part of the United States.
Zelensky travelled to Brussels on Thursday to hold talks with EU leaders gathered for a two-day summit, as questions circulated over whether the Trump administration would continue backing Ukraine. The Ukrainian leader announced scheduled talks with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, French President Emmanuel Macron, and the prime ministers of Poland, Denmark, and Belgium. A day earlier, his itinerary took him to London, where U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham offered assurances of additional support.
When asked about trust in Trump, Kaja Kallas — the EU's foreign policy chief — noted that the bloc holds a distinct position on the conflict. Kallas told reporters that accountability for the conflict belongs with the party that started it, and that steering Ukraine toward territorial or political compromise sits at odds with the stance Europe has opted to uphold.
Ten or more hours of drone activity over the Kirovohrad region in central Ukraine resulted in three fatalities and six injuries, the country's Emergency Services confirmed in a Thursday notice. In a social media post, Zelensky stated that more than 850 drones were launched against Ukraine in the hours spanning midnight through Thursday morning — a scale he linked to what he described as outside restrictions on the speed of Ukrainian defensive procurement — with aerial strikes touching down across 15 of the country's regions. He also appealed to people in the United States to stand with efforts aimed at protecting civilians, ending the conflict, and building durable security, rather than with the side carrying out the attacks. The Ukrainian air force separately noted that 536 of those drones were brought down overnight, though confirmed impacts were recorded at 31 locations.
Zelensky reported that a Ukrainian missile strike left six aircraft destroyed at an airfield located in Russia's southwest. Glide bombs were deployed against designated targets, while a post on the official's social media account stated that long-range strikes would persist — a continuation the official attributed to what he characterised as a deliberate extension of the conflict.
According to a statement from the Russian defence ministry, air defence units intercepted 166 Ukrainian drones through the night, while naval vessels transporting military cargo were struck by ground forces.
