Ukrainian drone attacks set fire to a Rosneft oil refinery in the Ryazan region overnight, officials said Thursday, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to resume attacks on Russian energy infrastructure in response to Moscow’s continued strikes.
Pavel Malkov, the governor of Ryazan, said in a post on Telegram that a major Ukrainian drone attack on the region had sparked a fire at an oil refinery.
“The material damage is now being assessed. Emergency services are working at the scene,” he said.
Zelensky told the Financial Times in an interview published Thursday that Ukraine had paused attacks on Russian refineries for three days to comply with U.S. President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement of an “energy ceasefire.”
Zelensky said Kyiv was resuming the attacks because Moscow continued to hit the Ukrainian power grid and fuel depots over the same period.
“The block [on attacking refineries] is out. We’re done,” Zelensky told FT.
Asked whether Ukraine would be open to halting energy strikes as a way of repairing relations with the White House, Zelensky said he could only agree if in return he was given more U.S.-made Patriot interceptors, calling it the “minimum” that would be acceptable.
The Rosneft-owned Ryazan oil refinery supplies fuel for Moscow and accounts for 5% of Russia’s total crude refining capacity.
The plant previously suspended operations following drone attacks in May, July and September.
On Wednesday, 24 hours before the confirmed attack, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak claimed Ukrainian forces had hit refineries in the Saratov and Ryazan regions. At the time, Ukrainian officials dismissed Novak’s claims as false.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defense systems intercepted 166 Ukrainian drones overnight. Ukraine’s air force said 580 Russian drones attacked the country overnight, of which 536 were shot down.
Three people were killed and six wounded in an attack on critical infrastructure, transport enterprises, logistics facilities and residential homes in central Ukraine’s Kirovohrad region, said the local governor.
Reuters contributed reporting.
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