WSJ: Ukraine resumes attacks on Russian refineries after brief pause

Resumption of hostilities after a temporary halt

The Wall Street Journal reports that Ukraine has resumed missile strikes on Russian oil refineries. This occurred after a short pause introduced under pressure from the US administration. According to the magazine, the attacks were initially planned to be suspended at least until the US midterm elections, and possibly until mid-November.

However, judging by the current situation, the strikes have already resumed today. According to WSJ, the decision to temporarily halt the attacks was made under pressure from US President Donald Trump.

Timeline of the decision-making process

The magazine notes that as early as mid-October, units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine responsible for long-range strikes received an order to cease attacks on refineries after the completion of already planned operations. The pause began at the start of last week.

A WSJ source reported that Defence Minister Denis Khmara briefed Volodymyr Zelensky, stating that the military command considered it advisable to temporarily refrain from strikes due to the complex diplomatic situation. The President agreed with this position but noted that the military could resume attacks at their own discretion.

On Tuesday, Volodymyr Zelensky himself told journalists that no ban on strikes against Russian refineries had been introduced.

«Наші хлопці намагалися бути трохи обережнішими в ці дні. Але в них немає наказу не бити по нафтоперобних заводах», — said the President. ("Our guys tried to be a bit more cautious these days. But they have no order not to hit oil refineries," said the President.)

Pressure from the US and Europe

According to two US officials, on 20 October, during a meeting in Oslo, Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner again firmly demanded that Volodymyr Zelensky stop the strikes on refineries. One of the publication's interlocutors described the conversation as "very harsh".

Kushner emphasised that he and Steve Witkoff are spending a lot of time and resources on mediation negotiations with Moscow, so a 30-day pause in strikes would be a way for Ukraine to express gratitude to the US.

At the same time, European allies also recommended that Volodymyr Zelensky suspend the attacks until the US elections, fearing a further deterioration in relations between Kyiv and Washington.

Attempts to reach an agreement and the Starlink issue

As WSJ writes, Volodymyr Zelensky tried to get something from Trump in return for stopping the strikes. He proposed a mutual energy ceasefire with Russia, additional supplies of Patriot missiles, or permission to use Starlink on Russian territory to strike Russian missile installations. However, none of these proposals gained further traction.

The publication's sources also reported that on 21 October, Donald Trump personally called Elon Musk, asking him to restore full Starlink operations for the Ukrainian army. The restrictions were lifted on 24 October.

US officials deny any link between the resumption of Starlink operations and the halt in strikes on refineries. Meanwhile, some Ukrainian officials believe that these issues were interconnected, as Kyiv urgently needed White House assistance to restore satellite communications.