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Ukraine Resumes Attacks on Russia Oil 10/15 06:38
Ukrainian drones attacked a refinery in Russia's Ryazan region early
Thursday, hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that a brief
truce spurned by Moscow was over amid deepening tensions with Washington.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- Ukrainian drones attacked a refinery in Russia's
Ryazan region early Thursday, hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy said that a brief truce spurned by Moscow was over amid deepening
tensions with Washington.
The drone strike started a fire at the refinery about 300 kilometers (180
miles) southeast of Moscow, Russia's Defense Ministry and Ryazan Gov. Pavel
Malkov said. Russia's Astra online news outlet posted what it said was a
photograph of the blaze.
A senior Ukrainian official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he
wasn't authorized to speak publicly confirmed that Ukraine had hit the refinery.
Zelenskyy complains about U.S. stance toward Ukraine
The strike could further complicate Kyiv's relations with U.S. President
Donald Trump, which have soured again in recent days.
Zelenskyy was outraged by Russia's continuing aerial bombardment of his
country's energy infrastructure in apparent defiance of Trump's demand on
Sunday for both sides to halt those attacks.
The Ukrainian government said that it was heeding the ceasefire, but Kremlin
spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that Ukraine never stopped its strikes on
Russian refineries. It wasn't possible to independently verify each side's
claims.
Zelenskyy complained that, despite going along with Trump's demand for a
truce, Ukraine in recent days was denied the usual Western intelligence on
Russian ballistic missile strikes and limits were placed on its use of
U.S.-made Starlink communication terminals. Both are vital for Ukrainian
defenses and attack operations.
The Ukrainian leader said that his patience had run out. He said in an
interview with the Financial Times published Thursday that Ukrainian attacks on
Russian oil refineries would resume. "We're done," he was quoted as saying.
Trump made a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian
diesel, despite international efforts to sanction Russia for its invasion and
diplomatically isolate Putin.
Zelenskyy slammed the agreement, saying it would allow Russia to press on
with its full-scale invasion of Ukraine that began more than 4 years ago. U.S.
efforts under Trump to end the war have made no progress.
Zelenskyy said in an interview late Wednesday with Piers Morgan on the
British journalist's YouTube show that he felt betrayed by Trump's deal with
Putin, the energy ceasefire announcement and the Starlink operational issues.
"Really, yes, between us," Zelenskyy told Morgan when asked if he felt
betrayed by the American president. "Our country has to survive, and we count
on our real partners, strategic partners, the United States and President
Trump."
He said that the U.S. behavior "was really strange and what was not like
between partners but that they switch off Starlink, so some actually crazy
steps between us."
Zelenskyy says U.S. position isn't 'on the right side of history'
In the same interview, Zelenskyy said that "we are losing a strong partner"
in the United States.
He said that "it's painful when President Trump chooses one side, not our
side. But we are OK that he's in the middle."
Zelenskyy said someone is pushing Trump into a stance that is "not the right
side of history."
The Starlink speed limits choked Ukrainian efforts to defend itself and hit
back against Russia, Kyiv officials said.
Elon Musk noted on X that the military version of Starlink, called
Starshield, is controlled by the U.S. military and Trump.
The absence of Western intelligence leaves Ukraine more vulnerable to
Russian ballistic missiles. Trump has said the U.S. hasn't stopped sharing
intelligence with Ukraine.
Ukraine looks to Europe for more help
Amid fears that the Trump administration may be withdrawing support for
Ukraine, Zelenskyy was due in Brussels for talks with European Union leaders
attending a summit.
He was traveling to Belgium after visiting London, where he won pledges of
more help from U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Asked whether the EU still trusts Trump, the bloc's foreign policy chief,
Kaja Kallas, replied: "We definitely have a different approach to this war. We
see that we have to pressure the aggressor to stop the war, not the victim to
surrender."
"Squeezing Ukraine is not the right approach, and that is why Europe is
standing beside Ukraine," Kallas told reporters at the summit, which Zelenskyy
is scheduled to attend on Friday.
Russian strike in Ukraine kills 3 civilians
Three people were killed and six others injured after the Kirovohrad region
of central Ukraine came under a Russian drone attack lasting more than 10
hours, Ukraine's Emergency Services said Thursday.
Zelenskyy said on X that between midnight and Thursday morning Russia
launched more than 850 drones at Ukraine, adding that the barrage came
"precisely at a time when the speed of our defensive capabilities is being
artificially restricted."
Russian aerial attacks hit 15 Ukrainian regions, he said.
"It is obvious that Russia deliberately chose to escalate its attacks after
receiving sanctions relief and seeing attempts to pressure Ukraine," Zelenskyy
said. "It is important that everyone in America stand not with the aggressor,
but with our efforts to protect lives, end this war and guarantee security."
Ukrainian air defenses stopped 536 Russian drones during a large-scale
overnight attack, the Ukrainian Air Force said, but impacts were recorded at 31
locations.
Russia's Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 166 Ukrainian drones
overnight. It said that its forces hit two vessels carrying military cargo.
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