Ukraine’s military has paused strikes on Russian oil refineries following pressure from the Trump administration, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the operations. Kyiv has not publicly announced a formal halt, and Reuters has not independently verified the account.
The reported pause began in mid-October, when Ukrainian units involved in long-range operations were told that new refinery missions were being put on hold after strikes already in progress were completed, according to Vesti Baku and The Wall Street Journal.
People familiar with the operations told the Journal that the unofficial pause was expected to remain in place until after the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections and could extend further into November.
No Formal Order Announced
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has not announced a permanent ban on refinery strikes. He told reporters that Ukrainian units had tried to act more carefully, while saying they did not have an order prohibiting such attacks.
That distinction suggests an operational pause rather than a publicly declared change in Ukraine’s war strategy. The order was reported to apply to new refinery missions, while operations already under way could be completed.
The Journal said the pause followed weeks of pressure from Washington during a sharp deterioration in relations between Kyiv and the Trump administration. U.S. officials have linked Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities to higher fuel prices and have pressed for renewed negotiations aimed at ending the war.
According to the Journal, U.S. envoy Jared Kushner repeated the demand for a halt during an Oct. 20 meeting in Oslo, which he joined remotely. The newspaper said Kyiv has sought reciprocal steps from Moscow, including an end to Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy system, but no comprehensive energy ceasefire has been announced.
Strikes Targeted Russian War Revenue
Ukraine has described attacks on Russian refineries and oil infrastructure as a way to reduce Moscow’s energy revenue and weaken the fuel supply supporting its armed forces. Kyiv also says the operations are a response to repeated Russian attacks on Ukrainian power plants, substations and other civilian infrastructure.
Russian officials have generally said the refinery attacks did not cause critical or lasting damage, though the strikes periodically disrupted operations and contributed to tighter fuel supplies.
Russian refinery activity has since rebounded. Reuters reported that crude processing at Russian refineries rose about 25% in the second half of October compared with the first half of the month, reaching roughly 5 million barrels per day as repairs were completed and attacks eased.
The pause, if sustained, would reduce pressure on a major source of Russian state revenue. Ukrainian officials, however, have argued that any restraint should be mutual because Russia has continued attacks on Ukraine’s energy and civilian infrastructure.
There has been no confirmation of a full energy ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv.