Zelenskyy says Ukraine resumes strikes on Russian energy sites after Trump’s cease-fire claim

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, told the Financial Times on Thursday that the pause on strikes against Russian energy facilities has ended, stating, "The block [on energy infrastructure attacks] is out. We're done." The remarks followed reports of Ukrainian attacks on oil-processing plants in Ryazan and Saratov, which sparked fires.

The decision comes after President Donald Trump publicly urged Ukraine to halt such attacks, describing an "energy cease-fire" that Kyiv had reportedly observed to give the proposal a chance. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov praised U.S. efforts to start a peace process but accused Ukraine of undermining those efforts by resuming the strikes.

Zelenskyy also criticized what he called a "dangerous" lack of U.S. intelligence, noting that Ukrainian forces were caught off-guard by Russian drones and missiles without prior warning. He said Kyiv would consider halting energy attacks again only if the United States provided Patriot air-defence systems to counter Russian missiles and drones.

The president further disputed U.S. claims that recent throttling of SpaceX’s Starlink service was a technical issue, asserting, "It was not a technical problem, it was will." SpaceX founder Elon Musk clarified that the company does not control the military-grade Starshield system used by Ukraine.

Trump’s recent actions, including lifting sanctions on Russian oil and pledging to purchase Russian diesel, have drawn criticism from NATO allies. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the diesel purchase as a "very risky decision" that could prolong Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.