Ukraine has resumed strikes on Russian oil refineries, Russia says — SkimNews
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- Alexander Novak said overnight drones struck three Russian oil refineries and one gas-chemical complex, marking the end of a brief lull; Ukraine gave no immediate comment.
- Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, the Samara regional governor, said a Ukrainian drone strike killed two men, while videos posted on Russian Telegram channels purportedly showed smoke billowing from a refinery roughly 800 km from Ukraine’s border.
- Ukraine has repeatedly struck Russian oil and gas sites in retaliation for Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure since Moscow began its offensive in February 2022.
- Trump struck an October agreement with Putin to ease sanctions on Russia in exchange for Moscow releasing diesel onto global markets; the deal drew outcry from Kyiv and European allies, and Trump then announced a surprise "energy ceasefire" that Zelensky said he knew nothing about.
- Russia shipped around 510,000 tonnes of diesel globally under the October deal, Novak said, and planned about 2.15 million tonnes for November; he warned the refinery strikes "could certainly" reduce supply volumes, perhaps only slightly, while still affecting global markets.
- Trump had spent weeks pressuring Kyiv to stop the refinery attacks, blaming them for rising diesel costs; the U.S. consumes about 3.9 million barrels of diesel a day, and his sanctions deal was seen as an effort to drive prices down before the midterms.
Why it matters: Trump’s sanctions bargain was intended to drive down U.S. fuel prices before the midterms, while Novak said Moscow had shipped about 510,000 tonnes of diesel in October and planned 2.15 million tonnes for November. Renewed strikes put that export push directly against Trump’s pressure on Kyiv, with diesel supply again the stated point of conflict.
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