Ukraine will intensify strikes on Russian oil refineries in response to what President Volodymyr Zelensky described as a change in Moscow’s air-attack policy, he said in a Reuters interview reported on October 3. He said Ukraine would respond to attacks on its energy infrastructure by targeting Russian facilities that help fund the war.

Zelensky said refineries would be a priority, while ruling out retaliation through attacks on civilian infrastructure. His remarks set out an intended response, without identifying specific facilities or a timetable for the increased strikes.

Zelensky describes wider Russian targeting

Zelensky said Ukrainian intelligence had obtained documents outlining a Russian military doctrine that allowed attacks on a broader range of civilian targets. He said these included infrastructure, logistics networks, roads, schools and hospitals.

According to the Ukrainian president, the aim was to put pressure on residents to leave Kyiv and other cities ahead of winter. The account of the documents and their purpose came from Zelensky.

He said Russian strikes on Kyiv during the preceding week had targeted energy and telecommunications facilities, as well as road and rail infrastructure. He also said Russia had, for the first time, attacked bridges across the Dnieper connecting the eastern and western parts of the capital.

Moscow says strikes will continue

The Kremlin did not provide a comment on Zelensky’s remarks. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Moscow would continue systematic strikes on targets, describing them as retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on Russia in recent months.

Both Russia and Ukraine deny deliberately targeting civilians. Zelensky said Ukraine would not respond in the same way as the campaign he attributed to Moscow, but would focus on energy facilities, especially refineries that he said generated money for Russia’s war effort.

Energy ceasefire remains uncertain

Zelensky said he had received no indication from Moscow that it was interested in peace negotiations or discussions about a ceasefire covering energy infrastructure.

US President Donald Trump had previously urged Ukraine to refrain from attacking Russian oil facilities, saying those strikes were pushing up diesel prices on global markets. Zelensky also urged Washington not to normalize relations with Moscow before peace was guaranteed.

On the battlefield, Zelensky said Ukraine’s continuing counteroffensive, codenamed Vivaldi, had recaptured about 140 square kilometres in Donbas. Russia has said full control of the region is a condition for a possible peace agreement.