Ukraine War: Energy strikes go on despite Trump claim

Russia hit petrol stations in Kyiv yesterday, and Ukraine struck a Russian oil refinery, as the warring sides carried on with strikes on each other’s energy targets despite an announcement by US President Donald Trump that they had agreed to stop.

Russia launched 200 drones at Ukraine’s capital and other cities in overnight attacks, killing two people. In addition to petrol stations in Kyiv, it struck energy and port infrastructure in other regions, Ukrainian officials said. For its part, Ukraine hit a Russian oil refinery in Syzran in Russia’s Samara region on the Volga River, and also drone production facilities in the Taganrog and Oryol regions.

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Trump said on Monday that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to halt strikes on each other’s energy infrastructure, which he says is the main factor in a global fuel shortage that has driven diesel prices in the United States to record highs.

Zelenskiy said that Ukraine was ready to halt such strikes but required credible guarantees from its partners that Russia would also stop.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Trump’s suggestion was a “very good idea”, but that it would take more to bring down global fuel prices.

“It is necessary to ensure safe commercial shipping and navigation here, including for oil tankers,” Peskov said, adding that Russia would stay in touch with the US about Trump’s proposal.