New Delhi: Ukraine has reportedly paused its attacks on Russian oil refineries following pressure from the United States president, Donald Trump. The move comes amid strained relations between Washington and Kyiv, with the US pushing for renewed efforts to end the war.
Ukrainian military units were instructed in mid-October to suspend attacks on Russian refineries after completing operations already under way, a Wall Street Journal report said. The unofficial pause began early last week and could continue beyond the US midterm elections into November, the report said, citing people familiar with the operations.
The decision followed growing pressure from Trump, who has blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities for rising fuel prices. His administration is seeking to ease pressure on US consumers ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
During a meeting in Oslo on October 20, US envoy Jared Kushner reportedly urged the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to suspend refinery strikes for 30 days. He argued that the move would demonstrate Kyiv’s appreciation for Washington’s efforts to negotiate with Moscow.
The pressure came amid a dispute over Ukraine’s access to Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Restrictions imposed on October 14 disrupted some Ukrainian drone operations against Russian military targets. According to reports, full capabilities were restored on October 24, three days after Trump asked Musk to lift the restrictions.
US officials have denied linking the Starlink restrictions to Ukraine’s refinery strikes. However, Ukrainian officials reportedly felt under pressure to accommodate Washington, given their country’s dependence on US satellite communications, intelligence-sharing and Patriot air defence systems.
Zelenskyy had sought concessions in return for suspending attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. He proposed a mutual energy ceasefire under which Russia would also stop striking Ukrainian power facilities. Other requests included additional Patriot missiles and permission to use Starlink inside Russia against Russian missile launch sites. None of the proposals made significant progress, the report said.
Ukraine’s last reported strike on Russian oil infrastructure took place on October 20. It targeted an oil pumping station on the Druzhba pipeline in Russia’s Tambov region. In the days before that, Ukrainian drones had struck oil facilities in St Petersburg, the Ryazan region and Surgut in Siberia.
Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces had become more cautious but had not received orders banning refinery strikes. He added that drone units were currently targeting other sites inside Russia.
Despite the reported pause, Zelenskyy has continued to demand stronger international action against Moscow. On Thursday, he called for tougher sanctions after a Russian drone strike hit a railway platform in Dnipro, killing 13 people and injuring 10 others. He urged the European Union, the United States and the G7 to maintain pressure on Russia, saying sanctions should not be eased while the war continues, as RNA Media earlier reported.
The appeal follows Trump’s October 16 decision to waive key sanctions and tariff measures targeting Russia.
The developments highlight the growing gap between Washington’s efforts to maintain diplomatic engagement with Moscow and Kyiv’s demand for sustained pressure on Russia. According to report, pause in refinery strikes and uncertainty over future US support have further weakened Ukrainian confidence in the Trump administration.