Zelenskyy: Ukraine has not struck Russian oil refineries for two days, but Kremlin did not listen to Trump
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stressed that Ukraine has refrained from striking Russian oil refineries and energy facilities for two days in response to a proposal by US President Donald Trump. Russia, meanwhile, has attacked Ukrainian energy facilities and critical infrastructure.
Source: Zelenskyy on social media
Quote from Zelenskyy: "Ukraine has not carried out strikes on Russian oil refineries or the energy sector in general for the two days since the American president announced an energy ceasefire. But Russia did not heed the American president."
Details: Zelenskyy said that during this period, the Russians had attacked both Ukrainian energy facilities and critical infrastructure, sending an absolutely clear signal that they had no intention of refraining from strikes on Ukraine.
Nineteen Ukrainian regions came under attack over the two days.
The president stressed that Ukraine's position remains unchanged: it is ready to take reciprocal de-escalatory steps, but effective pressure on Russia is needed to achieve de-escalation.
Background:
- On 11 October, Trump claimed on his social media platform Truth Social that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to an immediate energy ceasefire.
- Commenting on this statement, Zelenskyy said that he was unaware of the "energy ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia announced by Trump.
- Zelenskyy later reported that, after Trump's announcement, Russian forces struck Kharkiv's CHP-5 [a combined heat and power plant] and a power plant in Kyiv.
- A White House official told Axios that an "energy ceasefire", as understood by US President Donald Trump, means that Russia and Ukraine will stop attacks solely on each other's oil refineries, and that this is what Washington expects Ukraine to do.
- On Monday 12 October, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine has only one oil refinery and that the key issue for Ukraine in any energy ceasefire is therefore an end to Russian strikes on power plants and the energy grid.
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