Ukrainian drones strike Russian oil refinery as Zelenskyy says truce is over

Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery in Russia's Ryazan region early Thursday, triggering a fire, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared an end to a brief truce and accused US President Donald Trump of undermining Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russian attacks.The strike came hours after Zelenskyy said Ukraine would resume attacks on Russian oil refineries following continued Russian bombardment of Ukrainian energy infrastructure. A senior Ukrainian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Kyiv had targeted the refinery.Russia's Defence Ministry and Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov said the drone attack caused a fire at the facility, located about 300 kilometres southeast of Moscow. Russian online news outlet Astra published what it said was a photograph of the blaze.The attack threatens to further strain relations between Kyiv and Washington, which have deteriorated in recent days amid disagreements over the ceasefire, intelligence-sharing and restrictions on Ukraine’s use of US-backed communication systems. ZELENSKYY SAYS UKRAINE WILL RESUME REFINERY ATTACKSZelenskyy expressed anger over continued Russian aerial attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, despite Trump’s demand on Sunday that both sides halt such strikes.The Ukrainian government said it had complied with the ceasefire. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that Ukraine had never stopped attacking Russian refineries, which have suffered damage in previous strikes. The claims made by both sides could not be independently verified. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described Ukraine's attacks on oil facilities as a "direct and crude challenge to President Trump".Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said Ukraine had been denied its usual Western intelligence support on Russian ballistic missile strikes in recent days, despite agreeing to Trump’s demand for a truce. He also complained of restrictions on the use of US-made Starlink communication terminals, which are vital to Ukraine’s military operations.In an interview with the Financial Times on Thursday, Zelenskyy said his patience had run out and indicated that Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries would resume."We're done," he was quoted as saying.ZELENSKYY SAYS HE FEELS BETRAYED BY TRUMPThe Ukrainian president also criticised Trump over a reported agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel, despite international efforts to sanction Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.Zelenskyy said the arrangement would allow Russia to continue its full-scale invasion, which began more than four and a half years ago. Efforts by the Trump administration to end the war have so far made no progress.In an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan on his YouTube show late Wednesday, Zelenskyy said he felt betrayed by Trump’s agreement with Putin, the announcement of an energy ceasefire and the problems surrounding Starlink’s military use.Asked whether he felt betrayed by the US president, Zelenskyy replied, "Really, yes, between us"."Our country has to survive, and we count on our real partners, strategic partners, the United States and President Trump," he said.Zelenskyy said Washington’s actions were inconsistent with the relationship between strategic partners, pointing to the restrictions on Starlink."Their behaviour was really strange and what was not like between partners but that they switch off Starlink, so some actually crazy steps between us," he said.Zelenskyy added Ukraine was "losing a strong partner" in the United States and "It's painful when President Trump chooses one side, not our side. But we are OK that he's in the middle".He added that someone was pushing Trump towards a position that was "not the right side of history".Ukrainian officials have said restrictions on Starlink speeds have hampered the country’s ability to defend itself and launch attacks against Russian forces.UKRAINE TURNS TO EUROPE FOR SUPPORTAmid concerns that the Trump administration could reduce its support for Kyiv, Zelenskyy was scheduled to travel to Brussels for talks with European Union leaders at a summit on Friday.He was heading to Belgium after visiting London, where he secured pledges of additional assistance from UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham.Asked whether the European Union still trusted Trump, the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said Europe had a different approach to the war."We see that we have to pressure the aggressor to stop the war, not the victim to surrender," Kallas told reporters."Squeezing Ukraine is not the right approach, and that is why Europe is standing beside Ukraine," she added.RUSSIAN DRONE ATTACK KILLS THREE IN UKRAINEMeanwhile, three people were killed and six others injured in a Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s central Kirovohrad region that lasted more than 10 hours, Ukraine’s Emergency Services said on Thursday.Zelenskyy said on X that Russia had launched more than 850 drones at Ukraine between midnight and Thursday morning, describing the barrage as coming at a time when Ukraine’s defensive capabilities were being restricted.Russian aerial attacks hit 15 Ukrainian regions, he said.He urged people in the United States to support Ukraine’s efforts to defend itself and end the war, rather than side with Russia.The Ukrainian Air Force said its air defences intercepted 536 Russian drones during a large-scale overnight attack, but impacts were recorded at 31 locations.Zelenskyy also said a Ukrainian missile had destroyed six Russian warplanes at an airfield in southwestern Russia. According to him, the aircraft were used to launch powerful glide bombs against Ukraine.Russia’s Defence Ministry, meanwhile, said its air defences had shot down 166 Ukrainian drones overnight. It also said Russian forces had struck two vessels carrying military cargo.- Ends