Ukraine hits Russian refinery as Zelenskiy says ‘we’re done’ with Trump’s energy truce

KYIV, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Ukraine struck a Russian oil refinery on Thursday after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy declared that Kyiv was abandoning a ceasefire covering energy sites announced by US President Donald Trump, and criticised Trump's willingness to strike deals with Moscow.

By effectively walking away from Trump's demand that Ukraine halt attacks on Russian refineries and openly criticising the US leader, Zelenskiy risks deepening the biggest rift between Kyiv and Washington since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine's latest target was a refinery in the Ryazan region southeast of Moscow, which is owned by state oil major Rosneft and accounts for nearly 5% of Russia's refinery throughput, helping supply the capital.

Russian President Vladimir Putin played down the effect of Ukrainian long-range attacks on Russian refineries, saying they had caused "nothing particularly significant."

After Trump's surprise announcement on Sunday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to halt attacks on energy sites, Kyiv suspended attacks on Russian refineries, which Trump blames for raising diesel prices on global markets.

But in the days that followed, Russia rained down missile and drone strikes, including on energy targets such as power stations, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people.

Zelenskiy's relations with Trump have been testy, particularly after a February 2025 Oval Office meeting descended into a shouting match.

Zelenskiy has since praised Trump and US help for Ukraine, and in recent days said Ukraine fully backed the energy ceasefire despite waves of Russian attacks.

In an interview with the Financial Times published on Thursday, Zelenskiy said Ukraine's patience had run out.

"The block (on attacking refineries) is out. We're done," he told the newspaper.

Zelenskiy also criticised what he saw as Trump's willingness to strike deals with Russia, apparent admiration for Putin and an affinity for those wielding power or considerable wealth.

"He (Trump) speaks about it openly and loudly that he loves such people and he respects such people," the FT quoted him as saying. "Because for him people who can be leaders 20 years, 30 years, 40 years, it means they can be very strong."

In his comments to the FT, Zelenskiy also said he believed that changes in the capability of the military version of SpaceX's Starlink receptors this week, which curbed Ukraine's ability to pilot its drones, were a policy decision.

British Defence Minister Wes Streeting said on Thursday that he and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth welcomed the restoration of the Starlink service in Ukraine and called for both sides to "move forward in a collective spirit".