Ukraine resumes strikes on Russian oil refineries despite Trump's push for truce

• Ukraine strikes Russian oil refineries despite reported US efforts to secure a halt to attacks

• Drones target refineries in Nizhny Novgorod and Samara regions

• Zelenskyy defends strikes, citing continued Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure

Ukraine has resumed drone attacks on Russian oil refineries despite US President Donald Trump's efforts to persuade Kyiv to halt strikes on Moscow's energy infrastructure, exposing differences between Washington and Ukraine over the conduct of the war.

Ukrainian long-range drones set fire to the Kstovo oil refinery in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region overnight on Sunday, according to Russian state media cited by The Guardian. The attack followed a strike on the Rosneft-owned Novokuybyshevsk refinery in the Samara region on Friday.

Ukrainian officials told The Kyiv Independent that Kyiv had never agreed to a proposed 30-day suspension of attacks on Russian oil refineries. The proposal was reportedly conveyed by Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has defended the attacks, arguing that they are a response to Russia's continued strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

In a Telegram post, Zelenskyy said Russian drone and ballistic missile attacks had targeted four Ukrainian regions overnight, leaving hundreds of thousands of households without electricity.

He accused Moscow of taking advantage of Ukraine's shortage of ballistic missile interceptors and said the intensity of the attacks remained extremely high.

Russia accused Ukraine of disregarding US efforts to halt attacks on energy infrastructure. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Kyiv was continuing its strikes despite Washington's position. Moscow has maintained that attacks on Russian energy facilities undermine efforts to reach a negotiated settlement.

Ukraine's strikes are part of a wider campaign against Russian oil infrastructure that has intensified during the war. Kyiv has repeatedly used long-range drones to target refineries, oil depots and export facilities, seeking to disrupt fuel supplies, damage refining capacity and reduce an important source of revenue for Moscow.

The facilities also supply petroleum products used by Russia's armed forces, making them strategically significant targets.