Zelenskyy Ends Three-Day Pause and Ukraine Strikes Ryazan Refinery After US Energy Request

Ukraine struck a Rosneft-owned refinery in Russia's Ryazan region on October 15 after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv would no longer observe a three-day pause on energy targets that Washington had requested.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Zelenskyy stated, "The block [on attacking refineries] is out. We're done." He said Ukraine stopped strikes on Russian oil facilities for three days at US urging while Moscow continued attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Those Russian strikes killed more than 100 civilians over the preceding week and left hundreds of thousands without power.

Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov reported a major drone attack that started a fire at the refinery, which accounts for nearly 5 percent of Russia's throughput and supplies the Moscow region. A Ukrainian official confirmed the hit. Russia’s Defense Ministry also noted the strike. The Kremlin claimed Ukraine never fully stopped such attacks.

Zelenskyy linked the decision to two other developments. US intelligence sharing for ballistic missile warnings had been restricted, and Starlink terminals across Ukraine operated at reduced speed. He rejected a technical explanation for the Starlink slowdown, saying, "It was not a technical problem, it was the will." Overnight on October 14-15, more than 850 Shahed drones attacked Ukrainian sites while the communication restrictions were in effect.

The pause followed a US announcement of an energy ceasefire and a deal for Washington to buy Russian diesel. Trump had criticized Ukrainian refinery strikes as a driver of higher fuel prices. Zelenskyy said he would consider another halt only in exchange for additional Patriot interceptors. He also criticized US interest in business arrangements with Moscow.

The Ryazan fire occurred hours after the FT interview appeared. Classes were canceled in multiple schools and kindergartens in the region because of the drone activity. The refinery's location southeast of Moscow makes it a recurring target in Ukraine's campaign against Russian refining capacity. Restoring full Starlink speeds was reported later on October 15 by a Ukrainian defense source.

Zelenskyy's public statement marks a clear break from the short US-requested restraint. Russia’s continued use of ballistic missiles and drones against Ukrainian power plants and heating systems during the pause removed the practical basis for the arrangement from Kyiv’s view. The additional condition of Patriot missiles indicates the minimum compensation Ukraine now sets for any future energy restraint.

Market effects on diesel prices will depend on how quickly the Ryazan plant returns to full operation and whether further Ukrainian strikes follow. The episode also shows the limits of third-party pressure when one side continues large-scale attacks on civilian energy systems. Ukrainian officials have not published a full list of subsequent targets, but the Ryazan hit confirms the pause is over.