Kyiv, Oct 15:
Ukraine has resumed attacks on Russian oil infrastructure following the end of a brief truce covering energy facilities, with a refinery in Russia’s Ryazan region coming under attack, officials from both countries said on Thursday.
The strikes came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the temporary energy infrastructure truce had ended amid escalating tensions with Washington and continuing hostilities between Moscow and Kyiv.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its air defences intercepted four Ukrainian Flamingo missiles and 69 drones targeting the refinery in the Ryazan region, southeast of Moscow. However, debris from the intercepted weapons reportedly sparked a fire at the facility.
A senior Ukrainian official, speaking anonymously because they were not authorised to comment publicly, confirmed that Ukrainian forces had struck the refinery during an overnight operation.
Oil refineries have become important targets in the conflict, with Ukraine seeking to disrupt Russian energy infrastructure that supports the country’s economy and military operations. Russia, meanwhile, has continued attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities and other strategic targets.
The renewed strikes underscore the fragility of temporary arrangements to protect energy infrastructure, as diplomatic efforts have yet to produce a lasting cessation of hostilities. The extent of the damage at the Ryazan facility was not immediately clear.