Ukraine resumed attacks on Russian oil refineries on Thursday as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was “done” observing an energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, accusing Russia of ignoring the agreement, Reuters reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin played down the impact of Ukraine’s long-range attacks on Russian refineries, saying they had caused “nothing particularly significant”.
Kyiv had suspended strikes on Russian refineries following Trump’s announcement on Sunday that both countries had agreed to halt attacks on energy infrastructure. Trump has blamed Ukrainian refinery attacks for driving up global diesel prices.
Russia subsequently launched missile and drone strikes, including on power stations, cutting electricity to hundreds of thousands of people.
In an interview published by the Financial Times on Thursday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s patience had run out.
“The block (on attacking refineries) is out. We’re done,” he told the newspaper.
Zelenskiy also criticised Trump’s willingness to strike deals with Russia and what he described as the U.S. president’s admiration for leaders who hold power for decades.
“He (Trump) speaks about it openly and loudly that he loves such people and he respects such people,” the newspaper quoted him as saying. “Because for him people who can be leaders 20 years, 30 years, 40 years, it means they can be very strong.”
Zelenskyy, who was due to attend a European Union summit on Friday, said he believed restrictions imposed this week on military satellite communications used to control Ukrainian drones were a policy decision rather than a technical fault.
“It was not a technical problem, it was the will,” he told the Financial Times.
In an overnight social media post, SpaceX chief Elon Musk said the use of Starshield, its military satellite communications system, was controlled by the U.S. government.
“Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” Musk wrote.
Ukraine’s decision to resume refinery attacks risks deepening tensions between Kyiv and Washington.
Although Trump has said the ceasefire should apply to both countries, his public comments have focused mainly on Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, which he said over the weekend had “damn well better stop”.
Relations between Trump and Zelenskyy have been strained, including during a White House meeting in February 2025 when Trump berated the Ukrainian leader.
Tensions escalated last week after Trump eased sanctions on Russian diesel and subsequently called for Zelenskyy to be replaced.
Ukrainian officials fear the dispute could have consequences on the battlefield, where their forces remain dependent on U.S.-supplied technology.
Officials said they had gone several days without receiving the usual warnings from Western allies about incoming Russian missiles. Those warnings rely on U.S. satellite detection systems.
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