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Date: October 3, 2026
Reporter: Emilly Jordan
KYIV — Ukraine will intensify attacks on Russian oil refineries in response to what President Volodymyr Zelensky described as a new Russian policy of airstrikes against a broader range of targets in Ukraine, while saying Kyiv will not deliberately target civilian facilities.
In an exclusive interview with Reuters, Zelensky said Ukrainian intelligence had obtained documents indicating that Russian President Vladimir Putin had authorized a wider military campaign against infrastructure and other targets ahead of the coming winter.
“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,” Zelensky said. He said the objective was to put pressure on residents to leave Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.
The Kremlin was not immediately available for comment on Zelensky’s allegations. The Russian Foreign Ministry, however, said Moscow would continue what it described as systematic retaliatory strikes against targets in Ukraine in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russia. Both Russia and Ukraine have denied deliberately targeting civilians.
Zelensky said Ukraine would respond to Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure by striking Russian energy assets, particularly oil refineries that generate revenue for Moscow’s war effort.
“We have to respond in any way we can,” Zelensky said. “With their attacks on our energy, we have to respond on their energy. First of all, oil refiners — what gives money to them for this war.” He added that Ukraine would not respond by indiscriminately attacking civilian facilities.
The announcement comes as Russian missile and drone attacks have intensified around Kyiv. Zelensky said the capital had faced persistent attacks during the past week against energy and telecommunications infrastructure as well as road and rail facilities. He said Russian forces had also targeted bridges across the Dnipro River linking the eastern and western parts of Kyiv, adding another dimension to the pressure on the capital.
The escalation is taking place while the United States continues efforts to revive negotiations aimed at ending the war. U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has urged Ukraine to refrain from attacking Russian oil installations, arguing that such strikes can contribute to higher global diesel prices.
Zelensky said he had seen no indication that Putin was prepared to seriously pursue peace talks or an agreement to halt attacks on energy infrastructure. He said he would be willing to meet Putin for peace discussions at the G20 summit in Miami in December, but warned against restoring economic and diplomatic relations with Russia without an end to hostilities.
“It’s not fair just to normalise,” Zelensky said, arguing that peace should take priority over economic relations.
The Ukrainian president also said Kyiv’s forces were making gains in an ongoing counteroffensive in the eastern Donbas region. He described the operation, known as “Vivaldi,” as successful and said Ukrainian forces had recaptured about 140 square kilometres of territory. Ukrainian officials have provided varying figures for territorial gains during the operation, and Russia has said it intends to capture the whole of Donbas as a condition for any peace settlement.
At the same time, Ukraine is working to strengthen its air defences ahead of what officials expect could be another difficult winter. Zelensky said Russia had accumulated ballistic missiles and could intensify attacks against electricity and water infrastructure. He said Ukrainian forces were also facing growing numbers of jet-powered Shahed drones, which are faster than earlier versions and have challenged existing interceptor systems.
Zelensky said Ukrainian fighter aircraft, including F-16s and MiGs, had been used to intercept about 60% of the Russian jet-powered drones, but that supplies of 20-mm ammunition for the aircraft were becoming limited. Ukraine is therefore increasing its reliance on electronic warfare and developing new interceptor drones and small air-defence missiles designed to counter the faster drones.
Ukraine has also begun using domestically produced ballistic missiles. Zelensky said the country had announced the first combat use of the FP-7 missile, which has a reported range of about 250 kilometres. He said he had pressed the manufacturer, Fire Point, to complete the longer-range FP-9, which the company has said could reach Moscow.
The Ukrainian government is simultaneously seeking additional funding for its defence effort. Zelensky said European partners had helped unlock financing for drone orders needed to sustain Ukraine’s military operations into early 2027. He said Kyiv had developed plans with European governments to address a roughly $27-billion gap in its defence budget this year through a combination of Ukrainian budget resources, bilateral assistance and financing connected to a planned European Union loan.
Zelensky also accused Russia of using drone incursions and other forms of hybrid activity in Europe to intimidate populations and weaken support for Ukraine. Moscow has rejected such accusations, describing them as unfounded and part of what it calls anti-Russian sentiment.
With negotiations still uncertain and both sides continuing to strike targets across the conflict zone, Ukraine’s planned expansion of attacks on Russian oil infrastructure could further increase pressure on Moscow while also adding another complication to international efforts to revive peace talks.