Ukraine Hits Russian Refinery as Zelensky Feels Betrayed by Trump

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KYIV, Ukraine – Ukraine struck a Russian oil refinery on Thursday, walking away from a short-lived truce on energy targets that it said Moscow had ignored. At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he felt betrayed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry and Ryazan Gov. Pavel Malkov, the drone attack set off a fire at a refinery in Russia’s Ryazan region, roughly 180 miles (300 kilometers) southeast of Moscow. Russian independent news outlet Astra shared what it described as a photo of the fire.

The attack could put further strain on Kyiv’s relationship with Trump, which has worsened again in recent days as tensions between Ukraine and Washington grow.

Zelensky Says Ukraine’s Patience Has Run Out

Zelensky said he was angered that Russia kept bombing Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, apparently ignoring Trump’s call on Sunday for both countries to stop such attacks.

He said that even though Ukraine went along with the truce, it was recently cut off from the Western intelligence it normally receives on incoming Russian ballistic missiles. Restrictions were also placed on its use of U.S.-made Starlink terminals. Both are critical to Ukraine’s military.

In an interview with the Financial Times published Thursday, Zelensky said Kyiv had lost patience and would resume striking Russian oil refineries. “We’re done,” he was quoted as saying.

A senior Ukrainian official, speaking anonymously because he was not authorized to comment publicly, confirmed the refinery strike.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed Ukraine had never actually stopped attacking refineries. Neither side’s claims could be independently confirmed. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described the strikes as a blunt challenge to Trump.

Tensions Over Diesel Deal and Starlink

Another source of friction is Trump’s agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel, despite international sanctions and efforts to isolate Moscow over its invasion.

Zelensky criticized the deal, arguing it would help Russia keep up its full-scale war against Ukraine, now in its fifth year. Trump’s efforts to broker an end to the war have so far gone nowhere.

In an interview late Wednesday on British journalist Piers Morgan’s YouTube show, Zelensky said he felt betrayed by Trump’s deal with Putin, the energy ceasefire announcement, and the Starlink restrictions that limited Ukraine’s drone operations. Asked directly whether he felt betrayed by the American president, he admitted that he did.

Zelensky said Ukraine needs to survive and relies on strategic partners like the United States and Trump. He described Washington’s recent actions, including the Starlink limits, as very strange. He also said Ukraine was losing a strong ally, adding that it hurts when Trump takes a side other than Ukraine’s, though Kyiv could accept him staying neutral. Zelensky suggested that someone was steering Trump toward a position that history would not judge kindly.

Trump Fires Back

On Thursday, Trump openly said he does not like Zelensky. In an interview with Newsmax, he criticized the Ukrainian leader for resuming attacks on Russia’s energy sector and for refusing to reach a settlement with Putin.

Trump said Zelensky was not a good partner, said he was not a fan, and claimed Ukraine’s leadership had ruined the country. He added that he finds Zelensky harder to deal with than Putin.

Trump also suggested Ukraine should hold an election to replace Zelensky and argued that Russia has a military advantage due to its size. He said Ukraine has the best military equipment because it comes from the United States. He was not asked about Starlink or intelligence sharing during the interview.

Elon Musk wrote on X that Starshield, the military version of Starlink, is controlled by the U.S. military and Trump.

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.

Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. Usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 14, 2026

A Ukrainian official, speaking anonymously because of the sensitivity of the issue, said Kyiv has received no explanation for the slowdown from either SpaceX, which operates the Starlink satellites, or the Pentagon. The Pentagon has also not responded to questions from The Associated Press.

Without Western intelligence, Ukraine is more exposed to Russian ballistic missile attacks. Trump has said the United States has not stopped sharing intelligence with Kyiv.

Kyiv Turns to Europe

With concerns rising that the Trump administration may be pulling back its support, Zelensky traveled to Brussels on Thursday to meet with EU leaders at a two-day summit. He said he would hold talks with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, French President Emmanuel Macron, and the prime ministers of Poland, Denmark, and Belgium.

A day earlier, Zelensky was in London, where U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham promised additional support.

Asked whether the EU still trusts Trump, the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said Europe takes a different approach to the war. She said pressure should be placed on the aggressor to end the fighting, not on the victim to give up, and that this is why Europe stands with Ukraine.

Deadly Russian Attacks Continue

Ukraine’s Emergency Service said Thursday that three people were killed and six were wounded in Ukraine’s central Kirovohrad region during a Russian drone attack that lasted more than 10 hours.

Zelensky said on X that Russia fired more than 850 drones at Ukraine between midnight and Thursday morning, hitting 15 regions. He noted that the assault came just as Ukraine’s defensive capabilities were being artificially slowed, an apparent reference to the Starlink restrictions.

Since last evening and up to now, the Russians have attacked Ukraine with more than a hundred different weapons – jet-powered drones, loitering munitions, and ballistic missiles. A significant portion of these strike assets were shot down. But unfortunately, not all of them.

An ordinary residential building was destroyed in Kharkiv; the rescue operation continued virtually all night as first responders searched for people under the rubble. Four people were killed in this strike on the building in Kharkiv. My condolences to all their families and loved ones. In Kharkiv alone, 41 people were injured in just one evening. There was also a particularly vile ballistic missile strike on Kyiv – five missiles that hit civilian infrastructure. Unfortunately, we received no early warning from our partners about this strike. Intelligence on Russian ballistic missile launches helps save lives, and this is one of the most critical issues. This is precisely what helps prevent people from being killed – when there is an early warning about ballistic missiles.

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. During this time, the Russians have attacked both our energy facilities and our critical infrastructure, sending absolutely clear signals that they have no intention of refraining from strikes on Ukraine. Nineteen regions of our country have come under attack in these two days alone. Our position remains unchanged: Ukraine is ready for reciprocal steps toward de-escalation, and effective pressure on Russia is needed to make de-escalation happen. Wars end when the aggressor realizes that it cannot prolong the war.

Global pressure on Russia contributes to exactly that – bringing peace closer. But direct or indirect support for Russia, slowing down assistance to Ukraine, and making it harder to protect lives against ballistic missiles will certainly not help bring peace. Everyone needs peace. A strong America, a strong Europe, and strong partners are needed. Thank you to everyone who is truly helping!

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 13, 2026

Zelensky accused Russia of deliberately escalating its attacks after receiving sanctions relief and watching efforts to pressure Ukraine. He urged Americans to support efforts to save lives and end the war rather than side with the aggressor.

Ukraine’s air force said its air defenses shot down 536 Russian drones in the overnight attack, though strikes were recorded at 31 locations.

Zelensky also said a Ukrainian missile destroyed six warplanes at an airfield in southwestern Russia. He said the aircraft had been used to drop powerful glide bombs and vowed that Ukraine’s long-range operations would continue as long as Russia prolongs the war.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 166 Ukrainian drones overnight and that its forces struck two ships carrying military cargo.