Moscow's defence ministry said a fire broke out after drone debris fell on the refinery site, describing it as a 'large-scale attack' on the facility near the Russian capital.
Zelenskyy told the Financial Times that strikes on Russian oil refineries would resume, accusing the US of weakening Ukraine's position by allegedly withdrawing crucial intelligence sharing. The US had pressured Ukraine to halt such attacks, suggesting a suspension and a deal to buy 1.8 million tonnes of diesel from Russia would help lower soaring fuel prices.
'This politically is not simple [in America], because everybody will want to ask how it can be when some people are surviving, fighting, dying – and you make business with the guys with such aggression,' Zelenskyy said.
The ceasefire, unilaterally announced by US President Donald Trump on Sunday, was not publicly confirmed by Kyiv. Ukraine said it suspended attacks on Russian energy sites for several days, but Moscow continued striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure, including a massive attack that killed at least nine people and damaged power sites earlier this week.
Zelenskyy also alleged that Ukraine's access to SpaceX's Starshield satellite internet service was restricted, potentially leaving the military more vulnerable to Russian attacks. In a post on X, Elon Musk said only the US military and Trump had authority to limit Starshield's usage and speed. In a separate post, he called for Zelenskyy to 'go' as Ukraine's leader, writing 'And so the slaughter continues. Time for Zelensky to go.'
Relations between Kyiv and Washington have deteriorated, with Trump calling for Zelenskyy's replacement last Saturday. Zelenskyy said he would be willing to pause strikes on Russian energy sites again, but only if the US supplied Ukraine with Patriot interceptors. He is due to meet European leaders in Brussels on Thursday to push for tougher sanctions on Moscow and faster delivery of support.