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Ukraine hits Ryazan refinery as Zelenskyy declares the energy truce over
Drones set fire to a refinery south-east of Moscow on Thursday, after Russia launched more than 850 drones at Ukraine overnight. Zelenskyy says strikes on Russian oil sites will go on.
Key points
- Ukrainian drones started a fire at a refinery in Ryazan region early on Thursday.
- Russia fired more than 850 drones at Ukraine overnight, hitting 15 regions.
- Zelenskyy said he would pause again only if the US supplied Patriot interceptors.
Ukrainian drones set a Russian oil refinery on fire early on Thursday, after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was finished with the energy ceasefire that US President Donald Trump announced at the weekend.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said Ukraine had attempted a “large-scale attack” on the refinery in the Ryazan region, south-east of Moscow, and that falling drone debris started a fire. Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov also confirmed the blaze. There was no word on casualties or the extent of the damage.
Trump announced the pause on attacks on energy sites on Sunday. Ukraine held off for several days, but Russian strikes on Ukraine’s power network kept coming. Zelenskyy told the Financial Times that the refinery strikes would resume. “We’re done,” he said. He would pause again, he added, only if the United States supplied Patriot air defence interceptors.
850 drones in one night
Russia launched more than 850 drones at Ukraine between midnight and Thursday morning, hitting 15 regions, Zelenskyy said. Ukraine’s Air Force said 536 were shot down, but strikes were recorded at 31 locations. In the Kirovohrad region, an attack that lasted more than ten hours killed three people and injured six, the State Emergency Service said.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its air defences downed 166 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Strain with Washington
The row with Washington is deepening. Zelenskyy accuses the US of cutting back intelligence on Russian missile launches and of limits on Ukraine’s Starshield satellite terminals. Trump denies that intelligence sharing has stopped. Elon Musk said on Wednesday that only the US military and Trump can set Starshield’s limits, and in a separate post wrote: “Time for Zelensky to go.”
Washington has pressed Kyiv to stop hitting refineries, arguing that a pause, along with a deal to buy 1.8 million tonnes of Russian diesel, would help bring down fuel prices.
Zelenskyy is in Brussels ahead of a European Union summit, where he is pushing for tougher sanctions on Moscow. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the aggressor, not the victim, should be pressured to end the war.