Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the resumption of strikes on Russian oil refineries after a brief pause following a truce announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, even as Russian crude processing rebounded to its highest weekly average since late May during late October 2026.
Ukrainian forces are resuming attacks on Russian oil facilities following a temporary halt observed after a truce announced by Donald Trump. The ban on targeting fuel refineries was lifted, according to statements published by the Financial Times.
Refinery Operations Rebound Across Russia
Refinery runs in Russia fluctuated sharply through the autumn months as strikes slowed down and subsequent repairs allowed certain major plants to restart. Ukrainian forces launched at least 15 attacks on Russian fuel production facilities in September 2026, marking a drop from the record 22 strikes recorded in August. Despite this dip in operational pressure, processing rates remained constrained because the frequency of attacks outpaced repair operations.
Resumption of Key Facility Operations and Stalled Negotiations
Data tracked across the industry shows that facilities forced offline by earlier strikes managed to resume operations during the autumn lull. The Kirishi refinery operated by Surgutneftegas, the Volgograd refinery operated by Lukoil, and Gazprom’s petrochemical complex in Salavat all brought units back on line following strikes that occurred on August 30, October 2, and October 8 respectively.
The ban on targeting refineries was lifted.
Neither Moscow nor Kyiv officially confirmed formal negotiations regarding the announced truce. Meanwhile, Russian forces continued striking Ukrainian power generation stations and critical infrastructure around the clock, while Washington reportedly warned Ukrainian officials that intelligence-sharing could be suspended if attacks on Russian energy installations did not cease.