In an unusual move, Russia has publicly acknowledged a Ukrainian drone attack on one of its major oil refineries this week and aired footage of the aftermath on state television. The shift appears aimed at drawing attention to a strike that U.S. President Donald Trump has called a “disgrace.”
Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian oil refineries during the war, but Russian officials usually refer to these hits vaguely as attacks on “industrial enterprises.”
This time was different. Ryazan’s regional governor quickly named the refinery as the target of Thursday’s attack, and state TV broadcast images of a damaged refinery for the first time since the war began. In a short segment, the Rossiya-24 channel showed the plant southeast of Moscow with a fairly small column of black smoke rising from the site. No flames were visible.
What Was Hit
The refinery, owned by Rosneft, provides fuel for Moscow and makes up about 5% of Russia’s total crude refining capacity. It ranks among Russia’s five largest refineries and can process up to 18 million tons of oil per year. The facility had already halted operations after drone attacks in May, July, and September.
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Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov said the strike started a fire at the refinery and that a warehouse and vehicles were damaged at a separate facility in the city. He reported no casualties. The attack also led authorities to cancel classes at 14 schools and 25 kindergartens in parts of Ryazan.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Kyiv’s continued strikes on such facilities put it at serious odds with Washington’s efforts to start a peace process.
A Disputed Energy Truce
Moscow is eager to highlight the attack, which came four days after Trump announced an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine that neither country confirmed.
Ukraine says it held off on such strikes for three days out of respect for Trump’s request, but resumed them because Russia kept hitting Ukrainian thermal power plants and other energy infrastructure. According to Reuters, Zelensky told the Financial Times he would only consider pausing energy strikes again in return for more U.S.-made Patriot air defense interceptors, which he described as the minimum Ukraine would accept.
Trump Under Pressure Over Fuel Prices
Trump is facing pressure to bring down fuel costs, with Republicans heading into midterm elections in less than three weeks. Diesel prices have hit record highs since he launched a war against Iran in February. Last month, U.S. diesel prices climbed above $6 a gallon for the first time ever. Trump, however, insists that Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refineries are what is pushing global prices up.
Zelensky has rejected that argument. In a Fox News interview on Monday, he said diesel prices are driven not by Ukraine’s strikes but by the blocked Strait of Hormuz.
Last weekend, Trump warned that Kyiv’s attacks had better stop. In an interview aired on Thursday, he called Ukraine’s decision to resume them a “disgrace.”
Last week, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a deal for Russia to export diesel to the U.S. and global markets in an effort to lower prices. Ukraine’s strikes had previously forced Moscow to ban diesel exports, and the U.S. Treasury Department has temporarily waived sanctions on Russian diesel through April 2027. Some experts have described the amount of Russian diesel involved as tiny, and warned that easing restrictions could weaken the pressure Ukraine has been putting on Russia’s energy sector, along with its leverage in negotiations.
Relations at a Low Point
Ukraine and its allies worry that Trump, who has so far failed to end the four-and-a-half-year war, is once again leaning toward Moscow. Relations between Trump and Zelensky have fallen to their worst point since Trump publicly scolded the Ukrainian leader in the Oval Office in February 2025. Over the weekend, Trump also said Ukraine needs a new president.
On Thursday, Putin said recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries had not done significant damage, but he promised that Moscow would retaliate. Even so, the campaign has taken a toll over time. Ukrainian drones have hit Russian refineries at least 70 times since the start of 2026, driving Russia’s refining output to its lowest level in 20 years.