The Russian dictator accused Kyiv of striking first, using the claim to justify continued Russian attacks on Ukraine.
“They took the first step, and now we are responding,” Putin said, referring to Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities and data centers.
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on October 11 that Ukraine and Russia had allegedly reached an “energy ceasefire.” Ukraine, however, reported new Russian strikes on its critical and energy infrastructure just a few days later. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv had refrained from striking Russian oil refineries for two days, even as Russian forces continued to attack Ukrainian energy facilities.
Zelenskyy stated on October 12 that Ukraine is prepared to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, provided that Russia stops its attacks on Ukraine’s energy system and critical infrastructure. The president emphasized that any steps toward de-escalation must be reciprocal.
Zelenskyy announced on October 15 that Ukraine will resume strikes on Russian oil refineries after Washington limited intelligence sharing and throttled Starlink service for the Ukrainian military. According to the president, Kyiv will no longer consider itself unilaterally bound by any prohibition on such strikes.