New developments are emerging on the Russian-Ukrainian front. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, published last Thursday, Ukrainian armed forces have temporarily and unofficially suspended their drone strikes against Russian oil refineries, following pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump. The newspaper cited sources familiar with the operations in its report.
Units conducting long-range drone strikes were ordered in mid-October to halt attacks on refineries once already-planned operations were completed, according to the American newspaper’s sources.
Ukraine: How long will the pause on strikes against Russian refineries last — and what has Moscow committed to?
The pause is expected to last at least until the U.S. midterm elections on Tuesday, November 3rd, and may potentially be extended further into the following month, according to the WSJ. In return, Russian armed forces agreed not to target Ukrainian energy and civilian infrastructure, the report added.
News agency Reuters noted that it was unable to independently verify the newspaper’s information.
The report comes against the backdrop of new U.S. initiatives aimed at facilitating negotiations, in the hope of bringing an end to the deadliest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.
The relationship between U.S. President Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky has entered a new phase of deterioration in recent weeks. The Republican, who made no secret of his frustration with Kyiv amid the strikes on Russian refineries and the potentially costly electoral impact of rising diesel prices, went as far as suggesting that Ukraine may need a “new” leader.
Kyiv had previously rejected the American request to suspend the refinery strikes, describing them as retaliation for Russian bombardments that began in February 2022.
President Trump responded by announcing a deal to purchase diesel from Russia and suspending certain sanctions against Moscow.
