Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine will not strike Russian refineries if the United States sends more interceptors, while also accusing Trump of pushing Ukraine to capitulate to Russia.

Zelenskyy's conditions and accusations

Zelenskyy linked Ukraine's restraint on targeting Russian refinery infrastructure directly to the delivery of additional air defense interceptors from the US. The statement frames the offer as conditional, tying a specific military action to a concrete supply request.

In the same remarks, Zelenskyy accused Trump of pushing Ukraine toward capitulation to Russia, a pointed political charge directed at the US leadership amid ongoing efforts to broker a resolution to the conflict.

Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that strikes on Ukrainian military and military-industrial facilities will be intensified following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s vow to continue targeting Russian oil refineries. The ministry placed "full personal and political responsibility" on Zelenskyy for the consequences.

On Sunday, the ministry announced via Telegram that attacks on related infrastructure in Kyiv and other regions would escalate. This response follows Zelenskyy’s Saturday statement to Reuters that Kyiv would persist in striking refineries in retaliation for ongoing Russian airstrikes on civilian areas.

Strategic context and intelligence claims

Zelenskyy noted that Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian cities occur when Moscow cannot achieve its goals on the battlefield. He revealed that Ukrainian intelligence obtained documents indicating President Vladimir Putin directed his military to expand attacks on civilian-related infrastructure ahead of winter.

"We saw documents and we know that they allow them to attack infrastructure, logistics, and especially to attack in the cities, in the villages, everywhere, roads, schools, hospitals," Zelenskyy said. He added that the goal of the operation is "to pressure people to leave the capital, leave different cities."

Frontline status and operations

The Ukrainian leader reported that the situation on the eastern Donetsk front has stabilised. He described Operation 'Vivaldi' as successful and noted that it remains underway. The decision to focus on energy infrastructure reflects a broader response to military pressures, linking refinery targeting directly to the intensification of Russian strikes on civilian areas.

Diplomatic and economic pressures

Last month, Zelenskyy urged US President Donald Trump to arrange a trilateral meeting with Putin, stating Ukraine was ready for direct talks "anytime when all the sides will be ready." He also proposed an "energy ceasefire" if Russia stopped attacking Ukraine’s energy and water infrastructure.

Previously, Trump urged Zelenskyy to stop attacking Russian diesel and oil facilities, saying the strikes were "hurting the world" by contributing to global diesel shortages. Trump stated Ukraine could target other legitimate targets but should "stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia."

What the numbers show

The escalation highlights a divergence between diplomatic efforts and battlefield realities. While Trump pushed for peace talks and criticized the impact of refinery strikes on global fuel prices, both Moscow and Kyiv have signaled an intent to increase kinetic activity. The disclosure of documents allegedly authorizing attacks on civilian infrastructure suggests a premeditated strategy by Moscow, contrasting with Kyiv’s framing of refinery strikes as reactive measures against hybrid warfare.