The strikes followed the conclusion of a six-day humanitarian ceasefire in the occupied town of Oleshky that had been brokered by Melania Trump. While the truce permitted hundreds of civilians to evacuate, Ukrainian observers warned that Russian troops exploited the lull to swap personnel and reinforce defensive positions opposite Kherson. Prospects for upcoming trilateral peace talks remain clouded because Moscow still demands that Kyiv surrender the entirety of Donetsk oblast along with other partially occupied regions.
Key points
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy defended long-range operations as essential responses to Ru…: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy defended long-range operations as essential responses to Russian attacks that cut electricity to hundreds of thousands.
Ukrainian monitors reported that Russian units used a recent humanitarian pause to rotate…: Ukrainian monitors reported that Russian units used a recent humanitarian pause to rotate exhausted soldiers and bolster defenses.
Comprehensive peace negotiations remain stalled because Russia insists on annexing Ukrain…: Comprehensive peace negotiations remain stalled because Russia insists on annexing Ukrainian territories that its military does not fully control.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Ukraine has resumed its attacks on Russian oil refineries in defiance of pressure from Donald Trump ahead of the US midterm elections, with a ceasefire in the occupied town of Oleshky due to end late on Sunday.
Russian state media said on Sunday Ukrainian long-range drones had set fire to the Kstovo refinery in Nizhny Novgorod oblast overnight, soon after a major strike against another big refinery in Samara oblast, owned by the Russian state energy giant Rosneft.
The Wall Street Journal had reported that Ukraine had given in to pressure from the White House to stop bombing Russian energy infrastructure.
Ukrainian officials, however, told the Kyiv Independent newspaper that they never agreed to a demand from Jared Kushner, the US president’s son-in-law, to pause refinery strikes for 30 days. The raids on Russia restarted on Friday, Kremlin officials said, complaining that Kyiv was now “simply ignoring” US wishes.
Trump has blamed the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for the rise in global fuel prices, and last month lifted US sanctions on Russian diesel.
Zelenskyy has not acknowledged the latest refinery…
Iranian authorities reported the maritime detonations after accusing the targeted vessels of navigating through an unauthorized corridor in the critical waterway. The incident aligns with broader enforcement measures implemented by Tehran to tightly regulate shipping traffic in the area. By curbing unauthorized transit, the regime aims to project power over the strategic passage while applying strategic leverage against the United States.
The criticism follows the Central Elections Committee's formal confirmation that the inconclusive national vote remains fully valid. Opposition figures contend that questioning the integrity of the ballot damages public trust in vital state institutions solely to force another vote. These tensions highlight deepening domestic political instability as competing factions clash over claims surrounding minority voter turnout.
Parliamentary authorities confirmed that the recent national vote remains valid despite active security investigations into foreign interference. The ruling delivers a significant blow to Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, which lost its majority and launched unproven claims of fraud after rival factions secured enough seats to potentially build a governing coalition.