Zelenskiy: Ukraine will hit Russian refineries in response to Moscow’s “new doctrine” of airstrikes

Ukraine will double down on striking Russian oil refineries in response to a new Russian policy of airstrikes designed to force people to abandon Kyiv and other cities ahead of winter, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in an interview on Saturday — but insisted Ukraine will not target civilians.

FAKTA

• Zelenskiy told Reuters that Ukraine will step up attacks on Russian oil refineries.
• Ukrainian intelligence says documents show Vladimir Putin ordered a “new doctrine” of strikes on civilian targets before winter.
• Zelenskiy says Russia aims to pressure people to leave Kyiv and other cities.
• Both Russia and Ukraine deny deliberately targeting civilians.
• Kyiv also reported a Ukrainian counteroffensive, codenamed “Vivaldi”, recapturing about 140 square kilometres in Donbas.

A “new doctrine” for winter

Ukrainian intelligence has obtained documents showing that Russian leader Vladimir Putin has issued a “new doctrine” of military attacks on a much broader range of civilian targets ahead of the winter months, Zelenskiy said.

“We saw documents and we know that they allow them to attack infrastructure, logistics, and especially to attack in the cities, in the villages, everywhere, roads, schools, hospitals,” Zelenskiy told Reuters. “To pressure people to leave the capital, leave different cities: this is the goal of the operation.”

Driving the shift, Zelenskiy said, was Putin’s desire to appear strong at a time when Russia was losing ground in a key frontline region and sustaining higher levels of casualties. The Kremlin was not available to comment on Saturday.

Counteroffensive “Vivaldi” and revived talks

Zelenskiy said a Ukrainian counteroffensive, codenamed “Vivaldi”, had recaptured around 140 square kilometres (54 square miles) in the eastern Donbas region and was still ongoing. Russia has said full control of Donbas is a condition for any peace deal.

The comments come as US President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to revive talks to end the war, now in its fourth year. Last month, Trump urged Ukraine to refrain from hitting Russian oil installations, saying the strikes were sending global diesel prices surging.

For background on the latest strikes on the Ukrainian capital, see Russia strikes Kyiv’s Northern Bridge as bridge attacks enter third day on Watan News.